


Rainbow Sherbet

by alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist



Series: The Ice Cream Flavours arc [5]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Did you catch that?, F/M, Het, Lemon, M/M, Preventers (Gundam Wing), Sweet, Threesome - M/M/M, Triton is Trowa, Yaoi, by Bronze Tigress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 14:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13615281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist/pseuds/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist
Summary: by Bronze Tigress--"Dorothy. Surely you know that none of us pilots have had an easy time of adjusting to life after the war, because of what we each went through before and during it. It is quite likely that Triton has some issue of his own to resolve before he becomes that close to you. I have it on very good authority that he loves you, and it seems you feel the same. It will work out; it just may take some time, that is all."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Prologue: Tuesday afternoon : An Unusual Conversation_

The long, glass-walled corridor on the third floor of the Preventers HeadQuarters in Sanq is empty except for a lone figure strolling along. At nearly 1500h on a Tuesday, that's hardly a surprise, given that everyone in both Covert Ops - at one end of the hallway - and the Anti-Terrorism Squad - at the other - is normally busy with their own projects at this hour.  
  
//Tuesdays are good. So orderly, compared to the rest of the week. Nice weather today, too - sunny, and warm for October. Nothing a light jacket couldn't handle - and this uniform jacket is certainly light enough. What were they thinking when they picked this fabric for them, anyway? Not that it needs to be heavier, with the way these wings are set up. I'd never need to go outside at all if it weren't for cases.// The young man pauses to look out the window, at the courtyard below, and the back side of one of the Residential wings on the far side of the grassy area, nearly squinting to look towards where his own apartment is just out of visual range behind the buildings.  
  
//Yes, a nice day indeed! Life is good, and... I'm happy. Ancestors! Happy! Me, able to say I'm _happy_ with my life. Who would have thought it possible?// A small, slightly incredulous smile breaks over his otherwise serene face. //Work is good - and working with my friends is even better. _Having_ friends again is a good thing all on its own. And _they_ are happy too. Well, Quatre wasn't too happy about us teasing him over how his voice kept breaking all summer - although that baritone he's settling at is certainly nice enough to listen to. I think I may have to revise my estimates on Duo's becoming the tallest of the five of us; the little blond isn't staying so little. At least he's staying blond!//  
  
Pulling away from the window, the young ATS Agent continues walking slowly down the hall, a rather dreamy smile beginning to spread over his face. //Triton's slowly finding his past, and I'm finding a chance to love again. After everything that happened - losing my wife, my family, my colony... aiee; after _marrying_ my wife in the first place. That was certainly an experience... Never, ever would have thought it would be like this, though; he's not... _he_. Me, falling for a man.// Wufei shakes his head slightly as he walks, suppressing an amused snort. //He's not the easiest person to live with, but he does keep me on my toes - sometimes a little too literally. I suppose it's a good thing he doesn't mind my being shorter than him, because it seems we'll be stuck with it. But I can't remember _anything_ better than Duo Maxwell having ever happened to me...//  
  
Dorothy, coming up behind him, is surprised to see the vague and almost wistful expression on Wufei's usually sober face. It isn't an expression she would have thought the stern Agent capable of wearing, but it does give her a bit of hope that she will, in fact, be able to speak with him on a certain matter. She had been hoping to run into one of Triton's friends. Not Duo, though - this is, well, a private concern. And not Heero; she had discovered that his grasp of social interaction was severely limited, and, well, this is sort of a social problem, she supposes. Certainly, it's an interaction problem. And to be quite honest, she doesn't want to run into Quatre again. She never did figure out why everyone thinks him so charming; she always found him even more lethal than she herself had been at the peak of her war-mania. No, she had decided, she really did want to speak to Chang Wufei about this matter. Especially since he might have some insight that none of the others would. So what if he was insufferably rude and apparently unapproachable? At least, if she spoke to him, it was unlikely that anyone else would hear about it. And perhaps, he isn't so unapproachable after all...  
  
"Excuse me, Agent Chang? Could I speak with you for a moment? I'm so happy to have run into you like this.."  
  
"Eh?!" Wufei, startled out of his reverie to discover himself no longer alone, immediately slams down the inert and remote mask he usually employs for discouraging casual flirtations and annoying interruptions. "What can I do for you, Miss Catalonia?"  
  
"Oh, well... it's a rather personal thing... if you don't have time it can wait..."  
  
"I am on break for another seven minutes. What is this about?"  
  
"Ah... You are Triton's friend, yes? I'm not even sure I should be asking you this, but... I was just..." She trails off, uncertain as to how to phrase her problem without sounding silly, now.  
  
"I am that. Is there a problem that I should know about?" He is beginning to become curious. It is not every day that he is approached about one of his teammates, by one of their girlfriends. Looking about quickly, he reaches out to take her elbow and steers her towards an empty conference room at the end of the hallway as he continues walking.  
  
"Ah, I, that is... I don't know? I was hoping you could tell me, actually..."  
  
"Perhaps you had better explain..." He steers her into the first empty chair, moving around the table to seat himself opposite her, not quite incidentally placing himself where he can also see down the corridor.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she begins, "Okay... you know we've been going out for a while now, right? Do you know why? Because I'm beginning to wonder if it's not some sort of a joke."  
  
"A joke? That seems most unlikely..."  
  
"Well... Maybe I'm asking the wrong thing. He _does_ like girls, right? I know he seemed awfully close to Quatre at the end of the Eve Wars, but... _he_ 's the one who asked _me_ out first, so I thought surely... or maybe he's just really shy? I mean, it's been almost six months and he won't even kiss me... Did he just pick me because he thought he needed a girlfriend and doesn't want me after all? Or maybe I'm just doing something wrong, but if so I don't know what..." Dorothy sounds perilously close to tears by the time she has meandered through this recitation of her woes.  
  
"I am not entirely certain how to answer that, but I do not believe he would trifle with your affections, Miss Catalonia. And - I have seen him kiss you quite frequently."  
  
"Oh. Oh, well... This is so embarrassing. Um, well... you were married, right? I mean, you must have _some_ experience, with, ah... you know. _That_ sort of a kiss..."  
  
Wufei blinks, and raises an eyebrow. "You are asking _me_ for bedroom advice?" He sounds a little bit surprised that anyone would even consider him as a source of such information, let alone request it of him.  
  
"Ah, not _exactly_ , but... um..."  
  
"Ah. You are encountering difficulties in getting there, then, Miss Catalonia?"  
  
"Er... Please, it's just Dorothy."  
  
"As you wish, then, Dorothy. Have you considered that perhaps he does not wish to push your relationship to that level?"  
  
"Oh dear... You don't think I'm pushing him, do you?"  
  
Wufei blinks again before answering. "Dorothy. Surely you know that none of us pilots have had an easy time of adjusting to life after the war, because of what we each went through before and during it. It is quite likely that Triton has some issue of his own to resolve before he becomes that close to you. I have it on very good authority that he loves you, and it seems you feel the same. It will work out; it just may take some time, that is all."  
  
"You're sure, Wufei?"  
  
"Life is never sure, Dorothy, but it seems most likely. Trust in your feelings for him - and his for you. All will be well. Now, come... I still have a few minutes, and you could probably use some tea." At that, he stands, takes her elbow, and gently leads her towards the staff cafeteria, escorting her firmly through the halls with an expression on his face that speaks of misbehaved children to any passersby.  
  
Wufei guides Dorothy quickly through the empty line at the cafeteria counter, watching as she places a cup and teapot on her small tray, and suggests that something to eat might be wise as well. Dorothy pleads a fairly late lunch, however, and moves off towards the seating area. A quick scan of the area shows no-one there with whom Wufei would entrust the girl, but he reasons that she has withstood worse fits of confusion before, and directs her towards a quiet table at the side. Having seen Dorothy to a seat, and after assuring her once again that all will be well and enjoining her not to worry too much about it, Wufei turns smartly on his heel, and makes quick time back to his office.  
  
When he gets there, his partner is out on an errand that is liable to take the remainder of the afternoon, according to the note stuck to his monitor. The brief meeting with Dorothy is odd enough to keep him thinking about it for the rest of the day, however. As far as he can recollect, no one has ever asked him a question even remotely like it. He really hasn't been a contributor to casual office gossip or pillow-talk discussions. In fact, most people would not approach him for a conversation at all. That he would be asked for such intimate information, concerning a fellow pilot? All in all, this has been a most unusual Tuesday afternoon...


	2. Tuesday evening : Dinner and a Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

When Wufei walks into the apartment he shares with Duo after work that day, his partner is already home, and starting to organize vegetables on the kitchen counter to begin making dinner. Dropping off his shoes, keys and jacket in their places near the door, he rolls up his sleeves as he heads into the kitchen to join Duo. The conversation with Dorothy is still uppermost in his mind, and he brings up the subject almost immediately, telling Duo, "I had the most interesting chat with Dorothy Catalonia this afternoon."  
  
"Oh, don't tell me she wants us for one of _her_ missions this weekend!" Duo nearly groans at the thought.  
  
"No, nothing like that at all. In fact, she came looking for me; it seems she is having a little trouble behind the curtains and wanted some advice."  
  
"What? She's asking _you_ for bedroom tricks?" Duo is flatly incredulous at the thought, and nearly peels his thumb instead of the carrot he is working on.  
  
Wufei quickly repeats the gist of Dorothy's babbled speech for Duo. He is a little surprised at the vehemence of Duo's reaction. "Shit. I knew it. I thought I'd have more _time_ , dammit," are Duo's first words, and Wufei is somewhat alarmed by the self-directed anger in the words. He is perhaps even more surprised when Duo continues, "Call him, would you, 'Fei? See if he can come over for dinner?"  
  
Wufei takes one look at the determined expression on Duo's face -something that looks eerily as if he is preparing to push THE button(1), and, putting down his knife, says, "Of course, Duo, but... I would like an explanation next, please," before he goes over to the comm unit to place the call. He manages to catch Trowa before that young man has even really made it through his door, so the offer of dinner is gladly accepted, although Trowa appears to be just as surprised at receiving the invitation as Wufei is to be making it. He does request enough time to change, setting an arrival time of half an hour hence or so.  
  
"Half an hour? That's fine," is Duo's comment on hearing that news. "Yeah, over dinner would be good. I need to talk to him about some kinda personal stuff, and it looks like I've run out of time to sneak around it..."  
  
Wufei looks very confused by now, not understanding what Duo is talking about. "Ah, Duo? What do you mean, 'run out of time'? Time to do what? In fact, why not start at the very beginning for me?"  
  
"Look Wufei, you know how antsy Tro was about working with people, or opening up around them, or touching them? Especially when we first met? Remember how he was always trying to push Quatre away? Oh, no, that's right, you didn't hear endlessly about that for a month," Duo says, rolling his eyes. He pauses to finish dicing the zucchini and scoop it into the pan. "I dunno what he did when he went after you when you went chasing Khushrenada after New Edwards, but anyway - then he went to look after Heero when he blew up. I know he admired him, for one thing, but I'm betting an unconscious body isn't very threatening - nor a man so dedicated to his mission he'd rather blow himself up than fail..."  
  
"You may have a point; he hauled Shenlong out of the ocean and basically sat suicide watch on me for three days - no, Duo, there would have been no honour in that," Wufei quickly adds at sight of Duo's shocked and worried expression, "but he did not know me well enough to know that, and I was very depressed and confused at the time. No, he never got closer to me than really needed. At the time, I dismissed it as unimportant - along with almost everything else, such was my despair and confusion - but it is true nonetheless."  
  
The two chop and stir in quiet harmony for a while before Duo speaks again. "But - when he got that envelope back in May, remember?(2) He hugged me back," Duo says, picking up his narration where he left off. "When we first met he would have frozen, then flung me off, then bolted from the room if I'd done that. He still froze, but it was from surprise more than fear. Cathy was very good for him that way, and, well, I've been working on him some too lately.  
  
"So it's not just contact, or girls - he always was more considerate of them. No, it's gotta be specifically what Dorothy _wants_ that kiss to lead to that he's afraid of... I know he's not worried about me or my intentions; we had a chat about that on Peacemillion, 'cause he _did_ do the freeze and fling thing one time when I accidentally grabbed him instead of a railing and he wasn't expecting it." Duo breaks off with a small chuckle. "Although given where I grabbed him, it wasn't a big surprise he was upset. Still. I probably should have talked to him then, I guess, but there was this little problem of about four other factions out there fighting a war. So, I promised him I'd never start anything physical with him, instead - it was the best I could think of at the time, and it really wasn't the time for any of us to be distracted, especially by each other. I figured I'd have some _time_ afterwards, you know, to help him work through it, and it could wait until later. It isn't going to wait any more, though."  
  
He turns towards Wufei, then, evidently weighing his next words very carefully. "I think something must've happened to him - probably after he came to space, because from what he's told me, there wasn't anything that could explain it that happened while he was with his first Merc group. And it's not just the thing with that girl who betrayed him - he wouldn't have the problem with people touching him if it were just that sort of betrayal... I dunno, maybe it was just something he saw, but..." Duo's voice is uncertain, and he leaves the thought hanging for a while as he concentrates on stirring dinner.  
  
Finally, when he continues, Duo's voice is more certain. "Whatever it was, it seems to have made him equate sex with pain - and probably a bunch of other nasty things - and it's still making him leery of being so close to people. It's the only reason for him to put Dorothy off like that without an explanation; there's ways around anything else - most of them cheaply available in any department store pharmacy aisle." He stops, thinking, then shakes his head. "Nope. Gotta be that - he's afraid of hurting her, and if he takes that next step, he must think that's what'll happen. It's damned obvious he loves her, and more to the point, wants her. You've only gotta look at how his stance changes whenever she shows up to figure _that_ one out.  
  
"And y'know, if she's complaining to you, Mr. Grouch," Duo notes, pausing to kiss the tip of an offended nose, "then she's feeling the same way. The way I see it, if something doesn't happen very soon to change his mind about that equation, well, it's probably not going to be pretty, and he'll probably prove himself right." Duo stops, then, looking to Wufei for a sign that his partner has followed the somewhat rambling explanation. Wufei has a contemplative look on his face as he considers Duo's assessment of the observed data, coming to much the same conclusions. He nods slowly.  
  
"So, assuming that you are correct and that _is_ the problem, you mentioned talking to him, but also that you have been 'working on' him somehow?" Wufei's voice has a timbre to it that Duo recognizes as 'full scholar mode' - every bit of information being dissected for all its secrets even as they are being correlated with every other bit, at a rate faster than anything Heero's laptop has ever managed.  
  
"Well, Dotty's frustrated, but she's seeking opinions," Duo says then. "Which means there's still time to do something about it, but..." Duo trails off somewhat uncertainly, and looks almost pleadingly at his lover, "I think I know what will work, but I'm going to need your agreement, and probably your help. If Dotty's talking to _you_ , then we really don't have time for the slow way, even if it's probably the better choice. You've heard the phrase about a picture being worth a thousand words? Well, a demonstration's worth enough still pictures to make the video, right?"  
  
"And you intend to provide this demonstration of how his current view is incorrect, I take it?"  
  
"Uh, huh. Talking him through it - _just_ talking - is going to take too damned long under the circumstances. Before I got with the Sweepers, after the Church, a lot of the Walkers spent time watching over me; I got 'em stuff, they told me the good places to hide out and stuff. They talked to me, too, told me their stories. I remember a few of them, they were there 'cause they felt all they were good for was the streets; they were the real pros - did whatever it took, always worked alone, and once they were done for the night, they'd make like pieces of the shadows. Sound familiar? Substitute 'soldier' in there and you've got Tro... He's a very caring person, from everything I know and have heard about him from the rest of you. Whatever happened, it hurt him -probably physically, but definitely emotionally - and he doesn't want to be hurt again. More importantly, though, he doesn't want to be the one doing the hurting. Makes sense, right?"  
  
"Ah..." Wufei nods, translating the euphemism by context. Deciding it's not terribly important, he asks, "so, hypothetically, you want to show him...?"  
  
"First, that it doesn't have to hurt. Second, that he's capable of being with someone without having that mean he's going to be causing pain."  
  
"And you wished to do this by taking him to bed?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Simplest way, don't you think? I mean, we could talk to him for months, and not have it sink in, but there's nothing quite like experience, y'know? And it doesn't look like he's _got_ months any more, either."  
  
"I see why you requested my consent..." Wufei thinks for a moment; he has recognized the hard edge of determination behind Duo's expression, and knows well what lengths his lover will go to, to do something he feels _must_ be done, especially when it is something that his family needs. And from his tone, this is one of those things. Suddenly, Wufei is quite certain that this isn't something he wants Duo to have to face alone, for a variety of reasons. "The 'assistance' you mentioned - I assume by that, that you wished my participation in this?"  
  
Duo looks up, a sudden hopeful note in his voice. "'Fei, everyone -and I mean _everyone_ \- always told me the first time would necessarily hurt like hell, but it'd be worth it. But when the time came, it _didn't_ hurt. At all. It was just..." His eyes unfocus slightly and his smile softens dramatically before he continues in a softer voice, "When they write about heaven? I think I saw it there for a second." Had he been looking, he would have been privy to the rare sight of Chang Wufei blushing, but he was too busy shaking his own head to clear it. "The mechanics of _how_ you manage that, on the other hand - those, I'm pretty fuzzy on. I'm, uh, not usually paying attention to _what_ you're doing, just how damn good it feels. But I know you can explain the mechanics; I saw some of your research notes."  
  
"Duo! You weren't supposed to see those..."  
  
"Ah, ah. Once a thief, remember? And I found it incredibly sweet, anyway, that you cared enough to do that... I hadn't even really thought about it seriously until I found those notes. Never did find out why you were looking it up then, either; it sure didn't seem like you were _planning_ anything. Just being prepared maybe?" He gets a brief, shy nod in reply. "Don't be embarrassed, 'Fei. It's one of the nicest, most caring things..." Duo abruptly shakes himself. "Tro's gonna be here in a minute. Are we gonna do this?"  
  
For answer, Wufei wraps his arms around Duo's waist in a gentle embrace and kisses the back of his neck ever so softly before nodding silently against his shoulder. Then he turns back to stir the pan again and check the noodles. "So, is tonight to be just a straightforward discussion, or more than that? I should think a little time for thought would probably help him. And that goes for me, as well..."  
  
"We see what happens? Probably a little of both, I guess. We talk, we offer, we let him know we care about _him_ , we set up a date for the weekend? Then we won't have to rush things. It has to be up to him to go ahead with this, though." Duo stops, and then turns Wufei to look at him as he asks, "You know I wouldn't do this for just anyone, right?"  
  
"I know. And that you _would_ do this is part of why I love you."  
  
"'Fei...?"  
  
Duo's question is abruptly interrupted by several firm raps at the door. Wufei drops a small kiss on his love's cheek and steps back. "Why don't you put the plates out and find the nice glasses while I get the door?"  
  
It is, indeed, Trowa at the door. "And here I didn't think I'd told anyone I finally got some records back, yet. How'd you know?" Wufei thinks he is looking quite cheerful, and rather curious about the purpose behind the dinner invitation. It being a Tuesday, after all, it's difficult to put it down to weekend entertaining!  
  
"Ah. Well, that wasn't why we asked you here, but, this is indeed good news!" Wufei is truly pleased to hear that his friend has had more good luck in his quest for his past.  
  
"It's not?" Trowa is now thoroughly curious as he struggles with his shoes in the doorway.  
  
"No. It was Duo's idea, so I will let Duo explain. For now, come in, let me take that..."  
  
So Trowa is ushered in, and they have dinner - which is better than Catharine's soup by a long shot, although it falls rather squarely into the category of "home cooking" rather than that of "haute cuisine". Trowa is still impressed, however.  
  
Wufei is, understandably, somewhat distracted throughout dinner. Since Duo is happily chatting about work and friends and department gossip, he is able to listen with only half an ear. He can almost smell the segue waiting to happen, but is content to let Duo take his time leading up to the true topic for the evening. Instead, for the first part of dinner, he turns his attention to contemplating the problem at hand.  
  
He wonders, briefly, if he is really able and willing to participate in the activities Duo has obviously got in mind - or deal with their ramifications. One thing Wufei does know is that he's not willing to simply drop this in Duo's lap to deal with; one way or another, he plans to support his partner in whatever he feels necessary - and this does seem to meet Duo's definitions of 'necessary'. Certainly, he knows, both he and Duo care deeply for Triton - as they do for all of the other ex-pilots. And he _is_ pleasant to look at. Nor would this be a casual affair, really, for although it seems unlikely that it would be repeated, it would be neither particularly casual, nor would it fit most definitions of an 'affair'. More like... a temporary expansion of boundaries.  
  
_Feh_. If Wufei is truly honest with himself, he can't deny that he has felt something more than just friendship for the green-eyed young man who is listening intently to Duo's chattering at the moment. Whether it is purely gratitude towards someone who pulled him past the worst parts of a shocking and nearly suicidal depression, or something more, he never bothered to think on, before. Whatever it is, however, he is suddenly quite certain that this is something he wants to be able to do for his brother pilot, a gift in exchange for a gift.  
  
Ideally then, Wufei thinks, if he and Duo are to become teachers, they ought to impart some technical information and experience, and as much knowledge as he can add to that concerning a female partner. The syllabus is not in doubt. No, the problem would be two-fold. It would be fairly simple to show him that the experience could be pleasurable, provided that Triton agreed to be shown. The problem would be getting him to agree; failing that, or perhaps even given that, would be demonstrating the less tangible, emotional content.  
  
Contemplating how best to introduce this to Tro- _Triton_ \- the new name is still a bit strange even after a few months, and despite Wufei's resolve to practice using it, it isn't yet automatic - Wufei suddenly realizes something that might be a very useful argument. So he takes the opportunity of clearing plates to whisper to Duo, somewhat cryptically, that a new name makes a new man - and that there is a first time for everything - and everyone.  
  
Duo's eyes widen, and when Wufei returns with a tray of cookies and the pitcher of juice for refills, he leans back in his chair to tell him, "Whether it is or not." Dinner being complete, and Wufei evidently back with the conversation, Duo mentions that the most interesting thing that happened today was that Wufei had run into Dorothy, and she had actually _wanted_ to talk to him, specifically. Seems, according to Duo's flippant observation, as if she'd been asking him for marital advice.  
  
"Duo! That was not..."  
  
"'Fei, that's exactly what it was, and you know it. But I'll rephrase it, if it makes you feel better..." Trowa, at this point, is starting to look _distinctly_ pink. Duo turns and gestures to him with a cookie.  
  
"Look, Tro - you called us your brothers, right? We - Wufei and I -take that very seriously. So, look - I know this is probably gonna be a little weird and uncomfortable, but I got the feeling there was a rush on this, so can you just remember that we're doing this for _you_ , because we care about our brother, okay? Family is something to be looked after, and not just by feeding and housing you. And at the moment, we're worried about emotional health. You love Dorothy, right?"  
  
Trowa nods, obviously confused and discomfited by the turn the conversation has taken, but latching onto the question as something he does understand.  
  
"Wufei told me she had complained that you don't kiss her. I expect it's more than just that _but_ \- what's important is that she was upset enough that she told Grouchy here."  
  
Wufei squawks, in a most undignified way, at the nickname. Trowa, meanwhile, is beginning to look rather like he has been poleaxed.  
  
"You've gotta admit, hon, you _do_ give off that untouchable grouch vibe... Anyway, it just, I dunno, clicked with something a few of the Walkers who looked out for me when I was alone said, about why they were there. But, Tro?" Duo sits forwards and looks intently into Trowa's eyes, making sure he has his attention before continuing, "It doesn't matter who hurt you or how, really. That was then. Right now, you need to know that it doesn't have to be that way, and that being with someone doesn't mean you're going to hurt them. I didn't really believe that part myself, about it not hurting, until 'Fei proved it to me, so I know we can prove it to you. We," he waves a hand indicating himself and Wufei, "talked a little, before dinner, and we agreed," he looks over to Wufei for a confirming nod, "that we'd like to offer you the chance to find that out for yourself, and to help however we can."  
  
Wufei adds, "It is your choice, of course. But, think on this. The past cannot be changed, but the lens through which we regard it - that is another matter, is it not? Whatever this thing is that was so hurtful to you, it is something that befell Nanashi. _You_ , however, are now Triton. You have a chance to begin again. Cookie? And we would both be most honoured to show you another way to look at this matter."  
  
Trowa absentmindedly goes through another three cookies - mostly because Wufei puts them into his hand as soon as it becomes empty - before he manages to focus and speak. "Ah... You guys don't pull any punches, do you? You're right, I guess, Duo. I try not to think about it, you know? It's not the best set of memories, and that's by comparison to what I _have_ told you guys already. But it sounds like I need to think about it now, and stop putting it off, hmm? What happened, what I saw, what I know - the short version is that it was all about pain and control. And I don't want to do that to Dorothy. I want..."  
  
When he trails off, Wufei prompts gently, "What, Triton? What do you want for her?"  
  
"To keep her safe, make her happy, I guess. Same things I'd say if you asked about Cathy, but... It's different with Dorothy. I want it to be _me_ that makes her happy, me that makes her feel good..."  
  
"And you're not sure how to do that, and the method she seems to be choosing doesn't make sense to you, because it's not something that you associate with good feelings." Trowa nods in reply to Duo's question, looking miserable and uncertain and vaguely inadequate, as if he has run into something that his past and training has left him completely unprepared for.  
  
Duo's voice manages to be both briskly businesslike and compassionate at the same time. "Look, Tro - there are no guarantees here, but we can try. If you want; only if you want. Whatever you think will help -within reason - and at your pace, as much as possible. But, I have a feeling that sooner would be better; give you a chance to absorb the info and have it figured out before she gets really frustrated, y'know? Lessee, it's Tuesday now. Did you have anything planned for this weekend? Because having a couple of full days to work with might be good - this isn't really something to be rushed, if done correctly."  
  
"Ha... Well. Yeah, you're probably right," Trowa agrees. "Before I have a chance to get nervous about it, might be best. Um... Look, you said 'show me', right? Did you mean to demonstrate _on_ me? Or just demonstrate _for_ me?"  
  
"I believe the former is what Duo had in mind when he proposed this to me - not more than an hour ago, might I add - but if the latter would be helpful to you, that would probably help _me_ ," Wufei says, voice edged with something unfamiliar that neither of the other two can place. "This is not... something either of us would do for just anyone - or for anyone but you, most likely. And this is not something I had ever considered before. I believe we can arrange that, however. As you said - now, before I have a chance to become nervous. Or to doubt my sanity in agreeing to this. Did you wish to fetch some things from your place for the morning? I think it might be good to talk afterwards again, and there is a spare bed in the other room if you wish to use it..."  
  
Trowa blinks, then nods, appearing to come to a decision. "Yeah, that might be a good idea."  
  
"Good. Why don't you go do that, and my _qidi_(3) and I will, ah, fix up the bedroom for you." Wufei stands, then, and walks Trowa to the door. He stands in the doorway for half a minute, then, watching Trowa's back retreat down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) that would be the self-destruct button for Deathscythe, in this case.
> 
> (2) a reference to Orange Crush, a previous fic in the timeline, wherein Trowa receives confirmation of his sibling relationship with Catharine, and hence recovers his original name. Not everyone uses it all the time yet, and for ease of reference he remains "Trowa" in the narrative text; various characters name him as they deem appropriate.
> 
> (3) _qidi_ - Chinese, literally meaning "adopted younger brother", but used to refer to the younger of a pair of permanently bonded male lovers. His _qixiong_ (literally meaning "adopted older brother") would be responsible for him in exactly the same manner as he would be for a wife, and while the ceremony involved resembles that of swearing blood brotherhood, it also contains additional elements more in common with the marriage ceremony. Related terms are _xiongdi_, and _dixiong_, both of which carry a (doubled) meaning of "brother", although the former usually refers to one related by blood, and the latter to one who is chosen and/or sworn as same.


	3. Tuesday evening : Shall We Play Show and Tell?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

When Wufei returns to the kitchen, where Duo is putting the leftovers carefully into smaller containers, he is surprised by the plaintive quality in Duo's voice as he asks, "You think he'll be back, 'Fei?"  
  
"Probably. He left his shoes here..." Wufei seems vaguely amused by this fact.  
  
"Ah. Um, 'Fei, you meant it, right, what you said just before he got here?"  
  
Wufei doesn't need to think long to come up with that. "That I love you? Yes. As I did when I called you _qidi_ just now; for all that we have had no-one to witness the ceremony for us, you are that to me."  
  
"I... you know why I don't like to say it, right? But not saying I love you won't make it less real - face it, 'Fei, you're doomed, y'know? I just want you to know that. Tro's real special to me, but you're the one I love. No matter what happens here, you're stuck with me, 'cause I'm not going to stop loving you, and I'm not going to be going anywhere."  
  
Wufei pulls Duo towards him by the hips and shuts him up with a kiss. "Thank you, love; that helps." He smiles softly, then continues, "I gather I need not tell you how nervous I am about this, hmm? As you say, then; I care greatly for Triton - for all of my brothers - but you, I love. Now, since the spare bed is already made up, shall we set up a spot in our room for him to sit? And candles, I think. Soft lighting always helps."  
  
Duo practically snorts in disbelief, turning away from his lover. "God, I can't believe you're worrying about the lighting; what's next, costumes and makeup?"  
  
"Duo, I know you too well for that tone to work. What is it that's bothering you?"  
  
"Oh... well... I don't..." He takes a deep breath and organizes his thoughts before starting over. "Sometimes the Walkers, when things got bad for them, would get hired to do shows, y'know? I don't... even for Tro..." He trails off again, not quite sure how to phrase his disquiet.  
  
"Ah." Understanding seeps in, and Wufei offers, "Duo, I suggested this because it is the quickest way to show him how I feel for you. I have had no time to really think over being with him, yet, you see - and it seemed that having him here and yet not a part of us, would give me a chance to, as you say, 'work up to it'?" Wufei closes the gap between them, turning Duo towards himself by the shoulder and then laying both hands on his shoulders. It has become an upward stretch, however, since Duo unexpectedly grew again over the summer, making him the taller of the pair by about 7cm(1), so Wufei lets his hands slide down to take both of Duo's in his instead.  
  
"If this really makes you so uncomfortable, you know we can find some other way. As for the lighting, I merely thought it would be easier for me to do this, if I am less aware of our audience to begin with. In any case, it isn't truly a show for the sake of a show, is it?"  
  
"Nuh, uh. Guess not," Duo agrees, although he is still hesitant. "It sounded like he just wanted to _see_ that it's possible to mix love with sex first, without having to _do_ anything; I guess we all need to work up to the idea. We _can_ show him that, right?"  
  
"Of course..." Wufei's voice drops into a huskier tone then, full of promised delights, as he continues, "And it occurs to me that I know just how to take your mind off our audience, as well; I do hope you will not object if I fuck you until you cannot remember your name?"  
  
"Oooh... oh, no, not at all..." Duo practically shivers at the honeyed tone that Wufei's voice has taken on, little thrills of desire starting to race up his spine already.  
  
"Oh, good." Wufei gathers his love into his arms, kissing him thoroughly and altogether possessively, then moving to nip at his earlobe and suckle lightly on the juncture of his neck, raising a needy moan and another shiver. "Go, bring in the candles from the living room and set them on the dresser and nightstand. I'll worry about the rest of the setting up."  
  
During the next half hour, a number of small changes are made. In the master bedroom, candles are set up along the top of the dresser and on the bedside table on the same side of the room, creating a line of small lights. The bed itself is stripped down to the plain light blue sheet and the pillows - the top sheets and blankets folded into a small pile in the farthest corner of the room. In the corner opposite the dresser, on the wall by the door, a chair has been placed. Beside it, a light quilt and a cushion are piled on the floor, and a small white towel is draped over the back of the chair.  
  
Wufei has already changed and is lighting the candles on the side table - large jasmine-scented pillars, in a pretty blue-violet shade - and Duo is still taking his turn in the bathroom when Trowa knocks on the front door for admittance once again. He is carrying a small duffel bag this time, and looking oddly squirmy - a condition which is not much alleviated by the fact that Wufei has answered the door looking quite unlike his usual businesslike self. His hair is loose, which creates a startling change all by itself. Add to this that he is currently wearing only a loose pair of red sateen pajama pants, the colour of which draws attention to the golden tones of his skin and, well... Trowa is to be excused for double-checking the apartment number before returning his host's greeting.  
  
"Do come in, Triton," Wufei says, a warm and slightly amused smile gracing his features.  
  
"Uh... Oh! Oh, yeah, of course." Trowa recovers his wits enough to actually enter the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind himself without thinking.  
  
Wufei quirks a lip in what would be a self-satisfied smirk were it not so soft. "Not exactly what you were expecting, I take it?" he asks, indicating his transformation and turning around for inspection.  
  
Trowa shakes his head. "You look so... different, Wufei. It's a bit of a surprise, really. Not that it's bad! Just - I don't think I've ever seen you this... casual or relaxed before. It looks very good on you..."  
  
Wufei leads Trowa further into the apartment. "Now, this one is the spare room, and you may as well leave your bag here; in fact, you might want to change into whatever you were planning on sleeping in now. The bathroom is next, although if you need it you will have to wait your turn, and our room is the last door there. I am going to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee for after, and then heading back to our bedroom. Just come in when you are ready; even if we were not both somewhat nervous about this, we often like to start with a bit of a massage, and I thought it might help Duo relax."  
  
Trowa's small expression of surprise catches Wufei's attention, and he explains, very seriously, "Yes, he is nervous about this, even if it _was_ his idea to begin with. Triton - this is _not_ something either of us _does_ ; it is strange for us as well. For all that he flirts and talks so loudly about sex, Duo is perhaps even more private about actually sharing this part of himself than I am, and he has his own reasons for not wanting to be the main attraction in this sort of show. You should know, perhaps, that it is only because it is _you_ that we even considered this, at all..." With that thought, he turns and walks towards the kitchen, leaving a slightly stunned Trowa behind to stare after his retreating back.  
  
With a shake of his head, Trowa resolves to ask about that later. There is, from the comment about coffee, going to _be_ a later, and that, he thinks, is probably going to be just as well. He hasn't even seen anything yet and already he has questions! He turns the doorknob and walks into the spare room to change into the loose grey sweatpants and navy T-shirt he brought along to serve as sleepwear.  
  
A little less than fifteen minutes later, Trowa takes a deep breath, decides he's as ready as he's liable to get, and walks out of the bathroom, down the short stretch of hall to what he now realizes is the master bedroom. That door is already open, and a hint of jasmine permeates the dimly-lit room. The light and the scent can both be attributed to the candles on the near side of the bedroom. On the bed, Wufei is kneeling at Duo's head, both hands tucked under his neck, facing towards the door but paying attention only to the young man lying before him.  
  
As Trowa nears the doorway, Wufei's words, that have been too soft to hear before now, resolve into "...me, only on me, my _qidi_." There is something very possessive in the tone of the last "my" that momentarily makes Trowa sincerely wish... something. The moment passes as quickly as it came, without him being able to identify the source of the strange surge of longing.  
  
Trowa pauses there in the doorway for a moment to take in the view. Wufei answering the door had been stunning enough, but Duo - Duo, on his back, knees drawn up and feet planted shoulder-width apart, his black pants only calling attention to the fairness of the creamy skin on his slender body; Duo, his arms sprawled wide, pert chin tipped up slightly, and eyes closed in an expression of catlike contentment - Duo, like that, is breathtaking.  
  
He must have made some sound, because Wufei looks up then, smiles a heart-stoppingly lovely smile, and indicates a corner of the room with a tip of his head. Seeing a chair there, in the shadowed edge of the room, Trowa nods gratefully, and moves to take a seat. Even as he silently crosses the room to sit, Wufei is already turning his attention back to his lover, shifting around to the side nearer the candles, telling Duo quietly to roll over and move up. Duo stretches slightly, then moves to obey.  
  
Duo's hair is still neatly confined in its braid, and Trowa wonders briefly at that, but decides that the question can wait - if it isn't answered before the 'after' that has been mentioned. There will probably be a great number of questions, in fact. The soft lighting, soft voices, soft touches - already, he has never seen anything like this with the word 'sex' attached to it, and that is without even touching on the why's and wherefore's of his being invited for this in the first place. He watches in rapt fascination as Duo and Wufei rearrange themselves on the bed before his eyes.  
  
The combination of the two seemingly opposite forms gives Trowa new appreciation for the meaning of the word 'complimentary'. Gold skin plays against cream, compact muscles work against long wiry limbs, black pants and hair provide a perfect foil for the fiery colours of their counterparts. The sight is both erotic and beautiful, in ways he had never imagined he would be using to describe his team mates. And for all that he doesn't, usually, look at men - or anyone - that way... Trowa is certainly looking now. The very air in the room is made electric with anticipation. It is as if some strange new magic is being created before his eyes, a familiar and powerful spell being cast.  
  
Now comfortably kneeling astride Duo's hips, Wufei pauses to gently lift Duo's braid off his back and out of the way, leaning in to plant a most delicate kiss at the nape of the now-exposed neck and thereby evoking a contented sigh. Trowa's eyes widen slightly at the sound, and he sits forward a little in the chair. More of the same pleased noises follow as Wufei begins massaging his way down the muscles of Duo's back, murmuring soft words that sound like a litany of praise.  
  
When he reaches Duo's waist he stops, and raises himself from his perch, patting Duo's hip as he does so. Duo obliges by raising up enough that Wufei can slip the pants off him, taking full advantage of the opportunity to run his palms down the pale hips and thighs that are revealed, before Duo shifts to lie flat again, and the pants can be pulled off completely and dropped to the floor. Wufei moves again, this time to kneel between Duo's slightly-spread knees, still continuing the massage, but now working across the hips and then moving to knead and stroke various parts of the smoothly-rounded ass before him. Duo's soft sighs have become small moans and words of appreciation by now - a sound which is causing strange things (such as goose bumps and shivers) to happen to Trowa's spine, and Wufei's soft voice has taken on a husky tone that speaks eloquently of his growing need and desire.  
  
When Wufei stops and shifts off the bed to stand up, Duo nearly whines at the loss of contact until a gentle hand falls on his hip and a soft kiss lands on his near shoulder. Wufei is evidently intent on fetching something from the bedside table, but he stops long enough, once he is upright, to skin his own pants down and step out of them. Whatever he has retrieved is fairly small, and Trowa leans forwards more in an effort to see. He is disappointed to find that he can't make much out given the lighting and the fact that whatever it is is mostly hidden in Wufei's hand. Wufei's other hand is taken up by a small towel, which he drops onto the bed near Duo's hip before climbing back into his previous position.  
  
Kneeling in between Duo's spread knees again, Wufei begins by squeezing a generous amount from the tube onto the fingers of one hand, then, with the still-dry hand, gives Duo another pat on the hip. Evidently this one means "kneel up", because Duo shifts immediately so that his hips are raised as high as possible, leaving his chest and head resting on the bed and his folded arms. Once again, the lighting isn't helping, but the kisses and softly-spoken words of love and praise continue unabated, and while the one hand remains on - or perhaps, from the angle at which it is moving, _in_ \- Duo's ass, the other continues gently stroking over the rest of his body, except when Wufei pauses briefly, twice, to get more from the tube. Whatever he is doing, it seems to be having a very pleasant effect on Duo, to judge from the very visible reactions of his body.  
  
Then, apparently satisfied by something, Wufei presses one hand against Duo's hip, telling him wordlessly to turn over and lie on his back in the position he was in when Trowa first entered. He gets one last squeeze from the tube for himself, caps it, and tosses it to Trowa by way of explanation. Spreading the - Trowa glances at the legend on the object he caught - lubricating gel over his now-rampant erection with one hand, Wufei uses the other to gently stroke Duo's chest, lightly tracing his collarbones and feathering down his sternum, then down to trace along the edges of his hipbone and down the top of that thigh, ignoring Duo's own erection for the moment. Finally ready, he wipes his hands on the towel, and drops it off the side of the bed. His eyes, however, never leave Duo's eyes as he completes his preparations.  
  
Wufei positions himself, then reaches forwards to stroke Duo's erection lightly (getting a much louder moan this time) as he holds himself, just teasing at penetration, for a long moment before Duo nearly begs him for more. Then Wufei very slowly just eases forwards, getting a moan, a broad exhalation, and then an almost worshipful "Oh, gods" as he reaches full depth and pauses for a brief moment - whether to collect himself or allow his lover to do so is unclear - and then begins rocking, ever so softly, out and back in...  
  
Gradually their rhythm builds in speed, strength, depth, and especially intensity. And yet, Trowa is struck by the way in which each seems focused not only on the pleasure they are taking from the act, but even more on the pleasure they are able to give to each other. No matter how hard or how fast Wufei pounds into his lover, it never seems to be quite at the fairer man's limits, to judge by the way in which Duo encourages him on. It appears that Wufei is actively trying to drive his lover mad with need and passion before delivering his release, and Duo seems just as determined to pull Wufei over the edge before he falls himself.  
  
Finally, Duo's moans have become completely incoherent, and this is not changed when Wufei leans forwards to kiss and lick a path along one collarbone, then the other. He moves his visible arm to cup behind Duo's shoulders, and leans on that elbow. Duo, in turn, reaches up to slide his hands against Wufei's chest, one clutching spasmodically on his shoulder, the other wrapping around his lover's back. Triton can't quite make out what it is that Wufei whispers to him next, but Duo suddenly stiffens and then spasms, head thrown back in a wordless scream, and wraps his legs and feet around Wufei's hips. Wufei's own cry a few last thrusts later is louder, but somehow more restrained, as he, too, stiffens in his own orgasm.  
  
The tableau holds for a handful of heartbeats, before Duo's legs slip down bonelessly to the bed and Wufei rolls them over to rest on their sides, turning them so that Duo's pale back and Wufei's darker-toned arm and leg, now slung across Duo's hip, are all Trowa can see. The soft murmuring resumes, but this time it is a conversation, Duo's deeper voice answering Wufei's questioning phrases in shorter, but apparently affirmative, phrases. Wufei's hand on Duo's back is in constant soothing motion throughout, stroking him softly, running in small circles as he gently brings his beloved back down to an earthly version of reality.  
  
It is perhaps five minutes later that the hand on Duo's back moves to his shoulder, and he is shifted to lie on his back again. Wufei rolls gracefully off the bed and retrieves yet another small white towel, swiping it quickly down his own front before kneeling onto the bed and gently wiping Duo clean. He still manages to draw a few twitches from his lover with the gentle motions, before he decides he is finished and tosses the towel towards the hamper, not minding that it lands on the foot of the bed instead.  
  
Then Wufei draws his lover up to sit, supporting him gently for a moment, and for the first time since Trowa entered the room, his voice is loud and distinct enough to be heard. "Come on, up we get."  
  
Duo returns the embrace, although he seems to be trying to pull Wufei back down towards the bed as he mumbles "Don' wanna..."  
  
"Ah, no, none of that now. Come on, we promised Triton coffee and some explanations afterwards."  
  
"Wha.." Duo squeaks suddenly and buries his head in Wufei's shoulder in apparent - bashfulness?  
  
Trowa is startled to realize that his assessment was correct as Wufei chuckles, "Forgot all about him, did you? And here it was your idea to begin with! I should be feeling complimented now, no? Come on, up, pants. How are your legs?"  
  
"Ah... still pretty shaky, probably. Gonna spot me to the kitchen?"  
  
"I can do that," Wufei smiles back, before slipping off the bed and retrieving the two pairs of pants, handing Duo his and stepping into his own.  
  
When the two are dressed - or as dressed as they seem to be planning on getting - Wufei slides one arm around Duo's waist and steadies him as he stands on astonishingly wobbly legs. He looks as weak as a kitten and one leg shivers alarmingly as he tries to put weight on it, earning an annoyed-sounding "Stop that!" from Duo, but Trowa would swear up and down later that 'afterglow' was not merely a metaphorical term where Duo was concerned.  
  
"Ah, Wufei? Is he okay?"  
  
"Oi, man, I'm _so_ beyond fine right now... just _whoo_ a little shaky is all..." There isn't even the slightest hint of a pained undertone in the words, which is perhaps the thing that Trowa finds the least comprehensible. He has seen Duo this shaky before - a few holding cells come to mind - but never so enthusiastically happy about the fact.  
  
Once Duo is upright, Wufei turns his head to look at Trowa, who seems somewhat bewildered and even more squirmy than he was when he came in. His eyes rake down the seated form to take in every detail, and he says, "We are just going to get settled in the kitchen. There is a towel on the back of that chair if you need to take a few minutes to, ah, get yourself collected, and please, blow out the candles on your way out? Thank you..." Then Wufei begins walking his lover down the short hall to the kitchen.  
  
Trowa, left alone with the flickering scents of jasmine and sex, realizes that he is almost painfully aroused - something he had not actively registered while concentrating on absorbing the details of the show in front of him. With an irritated growl, realizing that _this_ erection isn't liable to fade without some assistance, he abruptly pulls off his shirt and lowers his pants off his hips, baring himself just enough to wrap one hand around his nearly throbbing erection and stroke it.  
  
Leaning back in the chair, inhaling deeply, he lets his eyes slip closed as he begins running through his mental catalogue of images from the scene just concluded. His strokes, and his breathing, quicken as he lingers on the gentleness of Wufei's hands, the wonder in Duo's voice as he is entered, the way in which each sought to drive the other into ecstasy. It is the thought of putting Duo's ultimate expression on Dorothy's face beneath him that finally takes him crashing silently over the edge.  
  
Eyes still closed, and still breathing hard, he gropes for the towel behind his head and dries himself off, then stands and carefully redresses himself, thankful for his choice of comfortable and rather loose pants.  
  
On his way around the bed to blow out the candles as requested, Trowa picks up the towel Wufei left where it landed - still white, he notes curiously, if rather soggy - and tosses it, along with his own, into the hamper.  
  
As he is blowing out the candles, he comes to a few inescapable conclusions. First, what he just had the very great privilege to witness bears only the vaguest, most passing resemblance to anything he has ever seen or heard or experienced with regards to sex before. Second, he would, very much, like to be able to share that sort of passion and ecstasy with his own beloved; and third, it is very, very obvious that his current knowledge is entirely inadequate - and probably thoroughly incorrect - as far as making that happen is concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) 7cm is between 2.5 and 3 inches; at this point in time I put Wufei at about 164 (about 5'4.5") and Duo at around 171 (5'7" and change)


	4. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning : Talking It Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Taking a deep breath, Trowa steps out through the door of the master bedroom and walks down the short hall to the kitchen for debriefing. Suddenly, the complete inaccuracy of the military term - considering that the couple waiting for him are no longer in that condition - causes him to break into a chuckle. Matters are not improved by the fact that Duo eeps, blushes crimson, and ducks his head into Wufei's shoulder on seeing him enter the room.

Trowa has to get right up to the table to see how they are managing to share the same kitchen chair. Wufei is sitting all the way back, almost off the back of the chair, his legs spread wide off the sides. This leaves just enough space for Duo to perch somewhat awkwardly on the front half of the chair, with both of his legs draped over one of Wufei's thighs. Wufei has one arm wrapped firmly around Duo's waist, keeping him in place, while the other cradles the head on his shoulder.  
  
Shortly, Trowa brings his amusement under control, and a muffled sniff precedes Duo's commenting, "Look at me, blushing like a girl..."  
  
Wufei laughs at that. "Not as far as I can tell, but then I may not have the best possible sample set... Now, do you think you can move over to your own chair so I can pour this coffee?"  
  
"Ah, yeah, I think so." Duo stands up, and keeps one hand on the table as he turns to sit down again in the third chair.  
  
"Alright, Duo, what _exactly_ is wrong with you?" Trowa, to the best of his knowledge, has never seen Duo look quite this way. He's not certain whether it's the wobble, however, or the relaxed look of ecstasy still lingering at the corners of Duo's eyes and mouth that is more unusual, or raises more questions.  
  
"Nothing that not trying to get up so soon wouldn't have solved." Duo sounds remarkably chipper, considering his appearance. An image of a stray cat that had wandered into camp one time and managed to walk off with a chunk of half-cooked meat nearly the size of its own head comes to Trowa's mind as an analogy. There is a certain very pleased note under Duo's cheer, as if this minor inconvenience is a cheap price indeed.  
  
"I am given to understand that the experience can be extremely intense, Triton, and I was deliberately pushing for that, feeling that a fairly extreme example might be in order. This is just a minor, very temporary side-effect. Duo stressed his thigh muscles by inadvertently tensing them, which exhausts them. He is correct, it is nothing to worry over, and normally, we would simply have stayed put for another few minutes until they had rested. However, he would probably have fallen asleep had we done so," Wufei explains, then adds with a small smirk, "and right now, he is probably playing the shivers for all they are worth since it generally buys him extra attention - not that I mind giving it to him."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Wufei laughs, then. It is obvious to Trowa, watching the two, that Heero was correct, six months ago, in saying that Duo's antics were starting to rub off on Wufei.  
  
"Feels pretty cool, actually, as long as I'm not trying to stand up," Duo says, smiling at Trowa reassuringly.  
  
Turning to bring down three mugs, Wufei asks, "You still take your coffee black, Triton?"  
  
"Ah. Yes, please."  
  
Wufei adds milk to Duo's mug and a spoonful of sugar to his own before delivering the coffee to the table.  
  
"Now, what was so amusing? It can't have been Duo's blush, charming as that is, because you had already begun laughing before getting in here."  
  
"Oh, I was thinking that I needed to get to the debriefing," Trowa says, "and then I realized, you two had already _done_ that and gotten beyond it..."  
  
Duo _blinks_ and then doubles over with laughter, having first narrowly escaped snorting some of his coffee up his nose. Wufei obviously has to puzzle out the joke for a moment but soon joins in the merriment, the light of comprehension appearing to spark his own laughter. Finally Wufei manages to get out, "Only _you_ , Triton, only you..." in between chuckles, and then, "Or perhaps Yui..." That last thought sets Duo off again, albeit not quite so badly.  
  
"Yeah, but 'Fei," Duo amends, "Heero wouldn't have realized that it was funny..." He snickers into his cup.  
  
Tension thoroughly broken, the three settle in for a good discussion, beginning, at Wufei's suggestion, with a thorough run-down of Trowa's past experience, present observations, and current conclusions.(1) Finally, he finishes his tale with, "It was so completely different from _anything_ I'd ever seen before - leaving out the genders involved, since I've seen all _sorts_ of things getting fucked, and they weren't all even human - but... I had heard it called 'making love' before; _now_ , I think I can understand why. I need to learn how to do that. I want to see that look," he says, waving towards Duo, "on her face, and know I put it there."  
  
"Well, then, should we discuss how that's going to happen, first, or have you other questions to ask of us?"  
  
"Aiee... Where to start?" Trowa wonders, before venturing, "This is all such a surprise. I mean, I'd never have guessed either of you for gay, much less being together this way..."  
  
Duo blinks, then asks his own question. "Who says we are? Gay, that is? I know I sure as hell never thought I'd be shacking up with a guy, and I don't think that was the top item on Wufei's list of things to do in life, either, somehow." Wufei shakes his head.  
  
"Well, bi then," Trowa amends. "Even so, I wouldn't have picked you guys for a couple."  
  
Duo shrugs. "I found someone who understands me - and loves me anyway."  
  
Trowa waits a long moment for an elaboration before realizing that one isn't forthcoming, then turns to look at Wufei for his reasoning.  
  
"I found someone to love, Triton, who loves me as I am. Even if he will not say so," Wufei quips, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Anything else?"  
  
Trowa nods, then after a moment's consideration, asks, "Is it always like that?"  
  
"Like what, exactly?" Wufei begins, before starting to suggest and answer a few possible meanings for the ambiguous question. "That intense? No, not always, but it _is_ always good, and there are times when intensity isn't really what either of us is after. That caring? Yes, absolutely. Or were you looking for more technical details?"  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Is it always that position? No, although it is a favourite one. That particular activity? Not usually, because it takes longer and there are times when we are in a hurry, or too tired, or not feeling up to it. Those roles? So far, although that may well change."  
  
"Um, okay. That's about five off the list..." He quirks a smile. "Er. Duo's hair...?"  
  
"Hey, man, some things gotta stay private!"  
  
"Besides which, a little more practically, it is very easy to tangle or pull when it's loose. It does not often come down in the evenings, because it is easier to sleep with it braided - for both of us." Wufei rubs absentmindedly at his nose before continuing, "In fact, you might suggest it to Dorothy, as no doubt it will come up shortly after you manage to pin her to the bed by the hair and pull out a good hank..." Wufei smiles rather sheepishly at that.  
  
"Okay, then... Um... The jelly?"  
  
"Ah, the lube. Probably not so necessary for you and yours, given that you will be with a woman after this, but then again, it might be of use. Most definitely useful for what we were doing, however; it makes everything work much more easily and comfortably. We would not start without it."  
  
"Duo? It didn't look like it, but it doesn't hurt, does it?"  
  
"Nuh, uh. Nope. _Far_ from it - and you know I don't have much of a tolerance for pain, either. I know, you probably heard what I did, that it always does to start with, but no. Wufei turned up some stuff when he was doing his research that said it wasn't ever supposed to, so... He made sure it didn't."  
  
"Research?" Trowa is actively blinking at the term.  
  
"The technical information is out there, Triton - one has only to seek it."  
  
"And... you can show me? I mean..."  
  
"Not everything, but enough to get you going."  
  
"When do we start?"  
  
"We already have, no? Come, the hour grows late, and we need to get some sleep. We can discuss the details in the morning, but let us say, tentatively, you will be here for the weekend?"  
  
Trowa nods. "Sounds about right."  
  
"Good." Wufei gets up and clears the coffee cups off the table, leaving them in the sink to deal with in the morning. "Then there is just one thing," he says, before walking around the table, and stopping before Trowa. He lifts his left hand to feather lightly through the still overly-long bangs, and gently holds Trowa's head steady, and leans in slowly. He pauses, while still about a foot separates their faces, and looks searchingly into green eyes, running his thumb across Trowa's lower lip and quirking one eyebrow as he asks, "May I?" Trowa swallows, studying Wufei's face in turn, then nods sharply and lifts his chin in invitation.  
  
Wufei's kiss is gentle and quite undemanding, which surprises Trowa; considering what he has seen so far of the man currently kissing him, he rather expected a little more force. But... as the kiss continues past the point where it could, properly, be called "chaste", Trowa concludes that it is certainly more pleasant than he expected, as well. Finally, Wufei breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead against Trowa's as he quietly wishes him, "Pleasant dreams," and then dropping a small kiss on his forehead before straightening up and moving past him.  
  
When Trowa looks up, Duo is standing before him, practically wringing his hands with indecision. "What is it, Duo?" he asks of his friend.  
  
"I promised, Trowa, remember? Back on Peacemillion? I promised not to start anything with you..."  
  
"Ah. So you did. Your turn, right? Come on then," Trowa answers the unspoken part of the plea, standing and opening his arms a little.  
  
Duo nods happily, then steps in close enough to lay his palms lightly on Trowa's shoulders, and runs his tongue nervously over his lips, waiting for his goodnight kiss. Trowa smiles softly as he steps in closer, rests his palms on Duo's hips, and leans in to kiss him. It is as he steps back again that Trowa realizes that Duo has grown some since the last time he was this close to the other young man, because he hadn't had to tilt his chin down at all to meet his lips.  
  
"Mmm, nice," is Duo's comment - even before his eyes flutter open again. He blinks sleepily at Trowa then, before bidding him good night and walking to the doorway, where he waits by the light switch. "After you?"  
  
"Ah, yes. Good night, Duo. Sleep well."  
  
Duo smiles and follows him out of the kitchen, flicking off the light, stopping by the front door to check the lock, and then padding softly down the hall to his room. Trowa can hear a flapping of fabric like tent flaps in the wind. As he gets to his door, he can also hear Wufei's soft tenor voice speaking, and Duo's lower tones answering, but the words are muffled by the intervening walls. Then their light flicks off and Trowa is left alone to contemplate all that has transpired this evening. With a tired sigh, he flicks his own light off, pads carefully to the bed, slips between the sheets, and closes his eyes.  
  
+  
  
Trowa wakes early the next morning; the surroundings are unfamiliar, and a lifetime of training that forces caution in unfamiliar surroundings makes itself known.  
  
Of course, it could also have been the soft sounds of a radio alarm clock switching on to an annoyingly gruesome thrashbang station and the equally faint smells of coffee beginning to drip. Or the thump of a body hitting the floor and then the (relatively) quickly-muted sounds of a baritone voice growling about the injustice of having to get out of a nice comfy warm bed and cross the _entire_ room to _get_ to said radio alarm clock to turn _off_ said thrashbang noise. It takes him a moment to place the voice as Duo's, and he notes with some amusement that evidently Wufei's habits have been affecting Duo just as much as the reverse.  
  
With an almost audible snap, memories of last night flood into his brain, in turn causing a rush of blood to other regions. He sits, somewhat dazed by the onslaught of images, for a few minutes until a sudden banging on the door accompanied by, "Yo, Tro, man, up and at 'em!" breaks through his reverie.  
  
"I'm up, Duo," he calls back. The sudden thought of just _how_ appropriate that particular assessment is nearly causes him to laugh - again -but he quickly squelches the urge. Five minutes later he is out of bed, dressed, and entertaining thoughts of Tsuberov dancing in a pink tutu as he is heading for the kitchen.  
  
Breakfast is a fairly subdued affair. Duo is, oddly enough, smiling with his eyes instead of his mouth (even given that he is using the latter for dealing with breakfast), and he seems to be inordinately pleased with himself. His expression once again reminds Trowa of that cat with its loot.  
  
Beside him, Wufei seems intent on using up his entire monthly allowance of smiles, most of which are being directed towards Duo. Trowa realizes, with something of a start, that he can now account for probably every other occasion in the last while, where the two have come in to work wearing those same expressions.  
  
Wufei turns, and promptly uses up another one of his smiles on Trowa's suddenly flushed face. "What are you thinking, Triton?"  
  
"Ah..." He pauses, trying to assemble his thoughts into something resembling coherency. "Ah, I was just thinking you were both wearing the wrong expressions - you're smiling and he's not. And... uh... that I'd been seeing you two doing that - wearing those expressions - for the last," he pauses to count, "six, seven weeks or so... and now I probably know why."  
  
"Ah," Wufei chuckles, "a mystery solved, then?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
Wufei nods, before noting, "It is closer to two months, though." Then some indeterminate expression flits across his face. "You should probably drop by your place before heading in to the office - be seen leaving there. Take the overpass - it is unlikely to be too busy at this hour. You do not need to have too many rumours flying about concerning how _you_ spent the evening, considering, from that last comment, that there have probably been enough of them concerning how _we_ have been spending our evenings." This last remark has a twinge of a sour twist to it, which Trowa is quick to note - and comment on.  
  
"No, there haven't been, really. About you two, that is. Last I heard, Quatre thinks it's awfully cute that you're finally developing a sense of humour, Wufei, although he's not quite sure it's such a good thing that you're developing _Duo_ 's sense of humour," he adds, barely ducking a thrown bit of toast. He grins broadly at Duo's expression before continuing, "But beyond that he doesn't think what's going on is anything more than what he and I had at the end of the Eve Wars.(2) Heero is of the avowed opinion that Duo has been a bad influence on you, and I've heard Zechs say you both seem more sedate now, but nothing beyond that."  
  
"Hey! I resemble that remark!"  
  
"Of course you do, silly one," is Wufei's reply to Duo's strangled squawk of protest; it is followed by a soft kiss to his cheek, which causes Duo's smile to spread across his lips. It is still, however, a softly joyful one, rather than the manic grin he usually presents as his smile.  
  
"And, well, I have to admit I hadn't really thought any more of it than what Quatre had, until you started with the 'we' bit last night at dinner, Duo. I don't recall having seen you two really acting any differently since you moved in together, really - well, except for those odd occasions when you walked in with each others' expressions on, and that time back in May when you shocked Yui into spraining his elbow, but you say that was before you..."  
  
"Yes, that was quite a bit before; back then, we really were not together in that way at all..." Wufei nods. "Although it was not entirely a joke; I know I had been thinking about it, and it turns out Duo had been as well. Mostly, though, that little charade was played for the pure amusement of seeing the reactions."(3)  
  
"Anyway," Trowa continues, "between _that_ little surprise and then you," here he swivels his attention to Duo, "guessing so close to my fears, well... I think I spent the whole way to my place and back here wondering if I'd wake up any time soon, except that I really don't tend to dream stuff like that. And what came after... uhm. That was..." Trowa trails off again.  
  
"Different? Interesting? Hot? Ow! What was that for?"  
  
"Duo, hush and let the man think, hmm?"  
  
"Eh, well, yes, those. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what I saw and make it jive with what I knew before, and it's not working that well."  
  
"And it may not, Triton. Rape isn't usually even about sex, let alone love, from what I have managed to find out - merely using it as a means to an end. And while power and control may play a part in making love, it really isn't about those elements. They are very different emotionally and psychologically, although it is essentially the same physical act. Perhaps you should consider that..."  
  
"Aah. I will. Look - dinner's on me tonight, okay?"  
  
"If you wish it. It is not necessary, though."  
  
"Yes, it is, but... I'm going to be a mess at the office today. Frag. I have to get going or I'll be late. Thank you, both, for... all of it." Trowa stands, then, and bows somewhat awkwardly to them both, takes his dishes to the sink, and heads to the door where he grabs his bag, slips on his boots, lets himself out with a quiet, "See you guys in a few," and jogs down the hallway towards the overpass.  
  
In the kitchen, Wufei turns to Duo and says, "Come on, we should get moving as well. Being late won't help any. And," he pauses to lean over and nip at Duo's earlobe, "think about Tsuberov waltzing in pink, hmm? You look entirely too much like a cat with feathers in its mouth..."  
  
"Eeeewwww! Oh, thanks for _that_ image, babe, I'm going to be thinking about it all day now."  
  
"Babe?"  
  
"Babe, baby... its an endearment. You don't like it?"  
  
Wufei *hmphs* and then appears thoughtful. "Not sure. Ask me again later... Now - shall we go?"  
  
"After you!" And with that, they are off. The two men walk down the apartment complex corridor towards the main buildings and work, a few minutes early as usual, with Wufei, as usual, chivvying his partner along to a stream of grumbling emerging from Duo about not needing to be in such a hurry and what he could have done with the extra two minutes.  
  
"I am sorry, Duo, but what you have in mind would probably take longer than the two minutes. Now, get going."  
  
"And you would know what I have in mind, how, exactly?"  
  
"Silly. I know because it is what you _always_ have in mind on mornings when you wear _that_ face."  
  
"Hah. I was thinking something different. And I'm not silly, either, as you know very well."  
  
"Oh, is that how it's going to be? Well, if we are on the subject of nicknames, I am neither a Dragon nor a baby. As for the other, if it was so different, perhaps you could tell me? With this lovely crowded hallway coming up?"  
  
"Not _that_ crowded, and, er... probably not."  
  
Wufei snorts, but his expression is fondly amused. "Thought as much. Come on. If we are late, Une will hang you out to dry by those parts and then you certainly will not be getting to do whatever it was you were not thinking about..." They turn the last corner into the main building, and are immediately surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the main HQ building as Agents and other staff arrive for the main shift of the day.  
  
The workday proceeds relatively uneventfully for the three young men. Duo is rather quiet, although the look of a cat that has found its way into a dairy remains pasted to his face for most of the morning. Trowa is even more quiet than usual, which causes his partner, Zechs, some concern. When Zechs mentions the matter in passing to Duo, however, he is somewhat reassured to learn that it is a matter of a recent dose of new information rather than being anything he actively needs to be concerned over.  
  
Zechs spends most of the morning in a pursuit which Trowa finds vaguely amusing - hunting through databases and compiling lists of suitable, semi-suitable, and barely-suitable unattached society maidens of anything approaching the proper age. Once he has these lists compiled and the names sorted, Trowa watches as Zechs lays out names, addresses and contact information in neat tabular blocks, according to some scheme which is not immediately apparent but seems to involve a lot of flipping back and forth. Finally, he prints out a double-sided copy and disappears with the small sheaf of papers in his hand.  
  
When Zechs returns from what has to have been the print shop, he flips the results of his labours onto Trowa's desk, startling him out of his reverie. Trowa picks up the missile - a little black-bound booklet, with three categories of entries, each perfectly placed in alphabetical order - and lets out a low appreciative whistle - both at the thickness, and the workmanship. Then he glances at the cover again. "Little black book, Zechs? Didn't take you for the type," Trowa laughs.  
  
Zechs snorts, "I'm _not_ ," before retrieving it and sitting down at his desk to begin working his way through the list of televid numbers. Trowa blinks at him, then returns to his own musings for the rest of the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) And no, I am not going to speculate on Trowa and rape; it's irrelevant to this story. My opinion is that, rape or not, Trowa saw and heard, and probably experienced, far too much violence along with whatever he managed to glean regarding sex. Regardless, the expressed opinion of my source of military knowledge is that growing up in a Merc camp is liable to severely mess one up socially and give one a rather skewed idea of how interpersonal relationships work. That's good enough for me...
> 
> (2) All things considered, as far as this version of reality is concerned, that would have been a very close sibling-type relationship.
> 
> (3) A reference to 'Orange Sherbet'. Poor Heero had a small problem with a chair...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

At ten minutes before the main day shift ends, late that afternoon, Trowa stands up and gets his gear together. This, now, is more unusual than the silence he has kept through most of the day, since Trowa isn't known for skipping out of work early. None of the six ex-Gundam pilots are, really; they have that much in common, as well as being numbered among Une's top - and most specialized - Agents. "You leaving early today?"  
  
"Ah, no; I wanted to check over something with Maxwell and Chang before I go; they brought back that V7-19 file this afternoon."  
  
"Ah, that's fine then. See you tomorrow."  
  
The errand isn't entirely faked; Trowa does want to check something with the two, but it's more a question of dinner arrangements than cases. Given Trowa's cooking skills - which according to him will suffice for either one or forty, but rarely anything in between - they decide on takeout and agree to meet back at the couple's home in an hour's time, since they are all familiar with the small size of the single quarters.  
  
Dinner is German - schnitzel, spaetzle, kraut, carrots, and peas - and the conversation, as might be expected, has turned again to matters personal. This evening it is Duo's turn to share some of the details of the less-pleasant times of his life, when he was more or less alone on the streets after the Church burned down and before he managed to get himself caught thieving by a Gundam scientist(1). It is easy for his two listeners to see where some of his idiosyncrasies originate, as the story unfolds. Wufei, who had heard most of the tale before, is startled by a few of the more explicit details which had not previously been shared, but not terribly surprised; he has had to deal with a few odd side effects of Duo's past already.  
  
Duo's stories continue on through dinner, cleanup, and into the living room with cups of cocoa. "And, see, that was the thing," Duo says as they take their seats there. "She told me she didn't think it was possible, until Tabitha showed her otherwise. She quit the street not too long after that. Dunno where she went, but Tabs said she'd realized she was worth more than that. I thought at the time maybe that meant she moved to one of the more expensive districts, you know? But Tabs didn't seem to think so, said she'd mentioned finding a job she was proud of. So who knows where she went? But I can't forget how Liss looked just before she left - like she had hope, again, and like she was _sure_ something good was just waiting for her 'round the next corner. Never saw her look like that before, it was always like she was just waiting for the next _bad_ thing to happen. I never did find out what happened -Tabs wouldn't tell me, said I was too little to have to know stuff like that - but I've got a few guesses - especially now." He grins at his partner at that, making it fairly obvious just what those guesses entail.(2)  
  
"And then just after that," he continues, "things started going right for me for a change. In the next couple of weeks, I managed to finally get myself a new outfit, including the surcoat even, to replace the collection of patches I'd been wearing. And a lot of other good stuff too, although the circumstances were pretty dodgy sometimes. It hadn't even been a whole month after that when I got caught by G and the Sweepers. At first I didn't think getting caught was so good, but then I met 'Scythe, and well... Anyway, you know how it turned out after that.  
  
"And the best part of all, I guess, was getting to know you guys and work with you all. I named myself for my first two families, but now, you guys, you're my family now, too. Like you said back in May, Tro, we're all brothers. There's nobody else who did what we did, who could know what it's like to be a Gundam pilot, to live through what we did. And I'm starting to think maybe, just maybe, I can let Shinigami go, now. Hell, we all damn near died in the war. And we're all still alive now. Maybe I'm _not_ cursed after all, y'know?"  
  
Wufei puts his now-empty cup down on the low table, gently detaches Duo's fingers from his to put it down as well, and draws his lover into his lap in a comforting hug. "We all lost our families to the wars, Duo. It is merely that some of us had them for longer to begin with, or found replacements earlier and for longer. You and Merquise named yourselves; Triton and Yui wore the names of others - and Yui still does. Only Winner and I knew our given families for long enough to count. We are all war orphans - although I was deemed a man before I lost what family I had, so perhaps I would not be counted so. We have all paid the price for the lives we took in the lives of those we loved. Your curse, if curse it truly is, is shared by us all now. I believe, altogether, we should end up being only one-sixth dead each, hm?"  
  
"I've said it before, Wufei, and I'll have to say it again - you _are_ a strange one... but probably correct. I wonder which parts of me are gonna die?"  
  
"Silly," notes Wufei, swatting playfully at Duo's arm, "I am trying to be serious here!"  
  
"I know! I know..." Duo wriggles away from the swat, not quite incidentally managing to squirm enticingly against Wufei's lap. "Anyway, Tro," he says, turning towards their guest again, "that's why you're here. I couldn't help Tabs get out, or any of the other walkers, but I can use what I learned from them to make things better for someone else. And what I've learned from Wufei, too - not just about going on from here, but what he finally figured out about righteous justice. It's not about revenge. It's about setting things right again, and how to do that... Hmm... jussec..."  
  
With that, he squirms out of Wufei's lap, stands, and walks over to the AV system in the corner, flicks it on, sets it to audio, and then flips quickly through a few screens before finding what he is looking for. Soft guitar chords and a raspy male voice starts to sing, words that speak startlingly close to home for both Trowa and Duo, and then the singer breaks into a more melodic chorus that enjoins the listener to "kiss the past goodbye".(3)  
  
"Very end of the 20th AD - you're sure not the first, and I doubt you'll be the last, Tro, 'cause it's just the same thing over and over, in every time period. But you've gotta let it go, because the alternative is to lose yourself."  
  
"And you can help...?"  
  
"Have we not already begun to?" is Wufei's answering query. "You spent the day locked in your own thoughts, according to Merquise. What did your contemplations gain you?"  
  
"A heck of a blush and a few other problems, actually."  
  
Duo snorts with laugher. "Okay, aside from the wood, what'd you get out of it? I think we already decided that you'd seen something unprecedented. The question is, knowing it's possible, what do you want to do about it? What's next, Tro?"  
  
"I guess, really, that depends on what you're offering..."  
  
"Whatever it takes, I think; right, Dragon-baby?"  
  
"I will not be answering that unless you stop with the nickname..."  
  
Duo kisses Wufei on the nose, eliciting a sputter, and then presses a soft kiss to his lips in apology, before turning back to Trowa. "How about, you tell us what you think will help, and we see from there? You need to talk? Great, we can do more of that, in as much detail as you like. You need to see? um... This _really_ isn't a theatre, but... You need to do? We've already discussed that between us, and we can do that. It's why we'd originally suggested the weekend. Regardless, I believe you get the detailed lecture on the anatomical differences and how those work from Wufei..." Wufei nods at that.  
  
"Ah... hm. All of the above?" Trowa sounds hopeful, but hesitant, as if he is afraid he is asking for far more than he is entitled to.  
  
"Okay. You need to do - which role?"  
  
"Ah..." Trowa is lost for words at how easily the request is granted. "Okay?" Disbelief clearly tinges the word.  
  
"I run, I hide, but..."  
  
"You never lie. 'Okay' it is then. Fah..." More disbelief, shading into surprised acceptance.  
  
"Triton." Wufei leans over and takes Trowa's chin in one hand, turning his face and looking directly into his eyes. "You are our brother. We love you. Not in the same way as each other, of course, but that is as it should be, since you have someone already who does. We would not have offered were we not willing, nor had we not believed you were worthy of the gift. Do not question that; ask yourself, instead, what you are willing and able to accept of it."  
  
"And what you can live with," Duo adds, "and what you're going to tell Dorothy - which, by the way, you might want to think about doing sometime real soon. I know what they say about forgiveness and permission, but it doesn't work that way with this sort of thing in relationships. Trust me on this one."  
  
"Ah, yeah. True." Trowa thinks for a moment. "Can we try for both? Roles, that is? I think that would probably help, having a better experience to look back on. That assumes it _will_ be one, mind." Glances at both of his friends' faces, however, show him only the certainty that it will be. "I know I want to have _some_ idea of what I'm doing with Doro. And you're right. I'm going to see about talking to her about this tomorrow or Friday. She deserves to know - not just what I'm going to be doing this weekend, but why, and why I was putting her off before, since it's become obvious that distancing myself wasn't really keeping her from hurting."  
  
"No, it was not. Good. In fact, if you like, you can call her now?" Wufei waves towards the phone with one hand.  
  
"Hmm. Thanks, appreciate it." That said, Trowa quickly makes use of the vidphone to place a call to his girlfriend, making a date for the following evening. "Okay, all set. And, I told her the three of us had something for the weekend, so she knows not to tag us for Saturday's Tea party. So, now what?"  
  
"Well, either you go home and sleep on it some, or you stay for a while and practice a bit."  
  
"Practice?" Trowa looks blankly puzzled by the second option Duo has just put forth. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Tro, think about it. You're planning to spend Saturday in bed with us. That means naked, full body contact. Tell me you're ready for that?"  
  
Trowa blinks. "Eh... no, I suppose not."  
  
"Didn't think so. We can start a little slower than that, okay? 'Fei, do we still have some of that massage oil, or the body lotion?" Duo is already working on undoing his shirt buttons as he speaks, and once again turns to the AV, this time picking some soft instrumental music that sounds to Trowa like an odd combination of traditional Chinese music with some decidedly newer and much more Western instruments and themes. It is softly soothing, little ripples of sound floating gently about the room.(4) "There, it's set to loop, so if you hate it tell me now before I get... aloe lotion all over my hands." This last is in response to the bottle Wufei has just returned with and is holding up for inspection.  
  
"Back rubs all around, I take it? Good idea. But, perhaps I should do Triton's first, and then he can do yours? That way he has to pay attention to what I'm doing, and you will be able to tell if he was. If that works for you both...?" Getting a nod from Duo, he turns to Trowa, and waits until he nods as well before continuing. "Good. You will need to take the shirt off, Triton. Hmm. Are you going to be comfortable in those pants or do you want to borrow a pair of Duo's sweats? His should fit you; I am sure mine would be too short..."  
  
Trowa is, once again, caught blinking and feeling rather confused. In fact, he is beginning to think that he has been in a continual state of slightly dazed confusion for most of the past 24 hours and then some. "Ah... isn't the point of this exercise to get the clothes _off?_ " It is notable that even as he is speaking, his hands are moving to undo his cuffs, and then the front of his shirt.  
  
"No," Duo replies, "the point of the exercise is to get you a bit more comfortable with - or at least more used to - skin contact. It wouldn't help to start off by making you uncomfortable. We're already pushing things _way_ faster than we probably ought to be. You say the word, we stop. It's up to you. Like that juggling trick, I guess; we'll keep tossing in knives as fast as you can keep working 'em in, but ultimately, _you_ are in charge of how far this goes."  
  
Trowa assesses that statement quietly, fingers still working at buttons, noting especially that it comes from Duo, and what that implies. By the time he has pulled the shirt off and folded it, he has evidently come to a decision, because as he straightens from putting the shirt on the couch, he reaches for his belt buckle, undoing it. The pants button and zipper are next, accompanied by a rather startled, "Tro?" from Duo.  
  
"It's okay, Duo. I take my shirt off in front of thousands of people every time I'm on stage with the Circus; I think I can handle you two seeing me with no pants, right? Where do you want me, Wufei?" The pants in question have already been slipped off slender hips and dropped to the floor, and Trowa steps gracefully out of them, then bends to pick them up and fold them, putting them neatly atop the shirt.  
  
Wufei waves him towards the tatami - a much-appreciated apartment-warming gift from Heero - and with a shrug, begins taking his own uniform off as he heads into the bedroom. He is back inside a minute, dressed again in the loose red pants he wore the night before. His hair is still pulled back in its tail, however. In the meantime, Trowa, wearing socks and skivvies as if it were just another costume, has arranged himself face-down on the mat, head pillowed on folded arms, legs stretched out, knees and ankles together and one foot tucked under the other. Duo manages to close his mouth about the same time as Wufei makes his reappearance, then shakes his head abruptly, mutters something that sounds rather like, "Didn't think it'd be _that_ easy", and takes himself off to the bedroom to change as well.  
  
Wufei walks around beside Trowa's face, looks down, and shakes his head. "Triton? Could you either turn your head the other way, or move your hair? I need to be able to see your expressions..." Trowa's whole body stiffens almost imperceptibly, and there is no response for a moment, so Wufei continues, "It is only that it is usually quicker to tell if something is hurting you from your facial expressions than by relying on reading muscle tensions. Triton..." Wufei's voice holds a measure of concern as he kneels above the young man's head, laying one hand lightly on his friend's forearm, "Do you need to stop, or wait for a bit?"  
  
The voice and hand draw Trowa's attention, and he draws a deep breath and holds it a moment before breathing out again and saying, "No, Wufei, I'm okay. Just... funny what makes us feel most vulnerable, right? I don't recall ever being really comfortable with showing my face, and I can't even remember why."  
  
"Surely you are not ashamed of it?" Wufei is more than a little surprised by the thought. "This is not a face to be embarrassed by!"  
  
"Ahh..."  
  
"Heh. Let him be, 'Fei. A face that beautiful draws too much attention, when you're trying to go unnoticed. It's no wonder. I knew the pants were too easy..." Duo's voice is bright but sympathetic to begin with, and slides immediately through the slightest touch of appreciative lust right into slightly disappointed understanding. "It's not so bad, when the audience can't really see you, nor you them, right?"  
  
Trowa nods, then speaks again. "Thanks... really, Duo. You're right, it's not the same. Then again, like you said, this isn't a show, right?"  
  
Duo shakes his head. "Nope. Just us. We're in this together; nobody's watching, nobody's judging. It's okay to take the mask off, Tro. This is a safe place; we're here for you..."  
  
Trowa nods against his arms. "Okay..." He lifts his head enough to brush his bangs down, off his face, before dropping it back down. His eyes are closed, so he misses the view of Duo back in the black pants he'd admired the evening before. Wufei doesn't, however, as he turns to smile his gratitude to his mate for the intervention.  
  
"Very well, then. Shall we begin, Triton? I'm going to move over to your side here, and... lotion, Duo? Thank you..." He warms it in his palms before continuing the soft patter of explanatory speech, "We start at the shoulders, just so..." Wufei's voice continues as his hands do, always one step ahead of any movement, hands never losing contact with Trowa's skin, although periodically one turns over. Trowa realizes that Duo must be giving Wufei more lotion at those moments, although there is never a difference in temperature, so he assumes Duo must be warming it as well.  
  
Wufei works his way slowly across the entire expanse of Trowa's back, gradually moving downwards and outwards, ending at the small hollow where the top of the hipbone intersects with the spine, and tracing that line gently outwards, finally resting his hands gently at Trowa's waist as he announces that he is done, and how is that?  
  
"Mmnnnn..." Trowa seems to almost shake himself out of (yet another) daze. "And here I thought _I_ was the one who's supposed to be good with skittish creatures..." He rolls each shoulder and then stretches, oddly without having to get up, but somehow managing to test each muscle along his spine. He ends by rocking his head in several directions. "I certainly know where to come when a mission goes strange and I have to play pretzel to get us out of it, now, that's for sure. Thank you, Wufei, that was..."  
  
"Something else for the data file?" is Duo's suggestion. Trowa actually chuckles at that, then blinks his eyes open and begins gathering himself together to kneel up beside where he had been lying.  
  
"Alright, then, let's see how much of that I can remember. Your turn, Duo, right?" He indicates the space between himself and Wufei with a sweeping gesture. Duo accordingly flops himself down in the indicated space, head on arms and legs loosely laid out, slightly apart. He has, however, somehow managed to tuck his hair under his neck and has the end of the braid tucked into his hands. Wufei raises an eyebrow when he notices that but makes no other comment. "Now, we start with some lotion, right? Wufei?" Trowa holds out a hand, palm up, and is given a small amount of the lotion which he is instructed to warm by rubbing it in his hands before beginning, then moves to start at Duo's shoulders.  
  
At first, Trowa seems hesitant, until a too-soft touch on a ticklish spot causes a giggled yelp and an almost growled admonishment to use firmer pressure. Things proceed smoothly after that. As Trowa's hands move across Duo's back, his focus gradually shifts from the actual movements his hands are making and the specific firmness of touch required, to the way it feels, and he begins to realize how pleasant it is to be able to simply run his hands over that expanse of skin. Too soon, it seems, he is done.  
  
By that point, it is getting well into the evening, and Trowa, needing to take care of some of his own household chores, opts to return home for the night rather than staying in the guest room again. And so, a few minutes later he is dressed and shod again. This time, however, he requires no prompting to draw Duo into a light hug before kissing him goodnight, or to then accord the same treatment to Wufei, before rather shyly thanking them both, and taking his leave.  
  
"And you, Dragon - your turn now?" Duo's voice suggests far more than just the returned massage as he turns to lead the way back to the tatami. Wufei closes the door, then, leaving Trowa to guess at the remainder of the conversation as he heads down the hallway towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) As far as I can tell from Duo's Episode Zero, there are a good four years between when the Maxwell Church is bombed and when Duo is picked up by the Sweepers group.
> 
> (2) Tabs and Liss aren't canon, they're mine.
> 
> (3) The song is Aerosmith's "Kiss Your Past Goodbye", from the 1997 "Nine Lives" album; as for the online stereo - the technology is already available for this.
> 
> (4) This album is by ShaoRong, titled "Orchid", from 2000; highly recommended if you can find it.


	6. Thursday : Dinner With Dorothy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Trowa spends most of Thursday morning wrapped up in the same sort of self-absorbed puzzlement he'd been subject to for most of Wednesday, and Zechs begins to wonder if perhaps he should request a new partner. He drops by Duo's office, hoping for some more insight into the matter since he had seemed somewhat knowledgeable the previous day. However, he finds only Wufei at his desk. "Oh," he says, seeming rather disappointed. "You wouldn't happen to know when Shade there will be back?"

"Let me guess, Triton is brooding again?"  
  
"Er, yes, how did you know?"  
  
"Oh, I... know a little about it. He has... received a large amount of information to think about lately; if anything, he should be better off than before, once it gets absorbed. As long as you two are not doing anything terribly important, he does need to process. It might do him some good to let him know you are concerned for him, however; he needs to know he has a support structure right at the moment."  
  
Zechs nods thoughtfully as he wanders back into his office. He raps on Trowa's desk to get his attention, having learned very early on that it is not wise to put a hand on the ex-Merc's shoulder unexpectedly, and at the moment, it seems that the precaution is not unwarranted. When Trowa blinks and focuses on him, he says, "You know, if you want to talk, my desk is right over there, okay? And you owe me a coffee..."  
  
Trowa blinks at that last, then looks at the dregs in the cup he is holding, and appears to notice for the first time just what is in there. "Eeeww... Uh, yeah. Just a lot on my mind lately. Sorry, you want that now?"  
  
"The coffee? Don't worry about it - it's easy enough to add cream and sugar to yours," is the smiling reply. "But I'm your partner, right? You being this distracted isn't good - and if I can help..."  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate that. And I may take you up on it, once I have a better idea what I need to talk about. Which reminds me - how well did you get to know Dorothy when she was on Libra with you?"  
  
Zechs is clearly startled by the change in topic, but answers truthfully, "She was my Second in Command, and she's brilliant with tactics -it's why I set up the Mobile Doll ZERO system with her in mind. But you knew that already. We really didn't have anything else between us, if that's what you're worried about..."  
  
"No. That never crossed my mind, actually. I was just wondering if you had any idea of something she was especially fond of that I might not. I've got a dinner date with her tonight, and somehow, I don't think she'd really like a spare ammo clip as a present..."  
  
Zechs has to laugh at that suggestion, and sitting down and swivelling his desk chair to face his partner's, begins by listing several of the usual stand-by suggestions, and then goes on to pull out his memories of Dorothy's appearances at formal events to compare with Trowa's more prosaic experience with her. Eventually they settle on a few options, and when Trowa leaves the office a little early in search of just the right sort of flowers, Zechs is quite happy to have been able to solve at least one of the world's problems that day.  
  
+  
  
Dorothy is, to put it mildly, quite pleased to receive the flowers, and surprised that Trowa has managed, on the first try, to pick one of her favourite varieties rather than simply making the easy choice of red roses. Trowa is similarly delighted, if more quietly so, at having chosen well. After Dorothy has taken a moment to put her freesias in a vase, they are off for dinner at a little cafe they have been to before; Trowa has picked it because it is likely to be fairly empty at this hour since it mainly caters to the lunch crowd and late theatre-goers, and the quiet and relatively private ambience is definitely what he wants for the conversation he has planned.  
  
Shortly after arrival, they are seated in a private booth on the back wall, well away from any other guests, the hostess having been quite happy to seat them at the table of their choosing. Trowa quickly places orders for their drinks, and they are ready to order by the time those and a basket of bread arrives.  
  
Never one to beat around the bush when direct action would be more productive, Trowa comes straight to the point once the waiter bustles off to the kitchen with their food orders.  
  
"You were speaking to Wufei on Tuesday about us?" His tone is soft, but even for Dorothy, rather unreadable; the question is more a statement for confirmation.  
  
"Ah..." Dorothy has the grace to blush. "Yes, I was. I..."  
  
Trowa cuts her off quickly with a "Thank you. I'm glad you did."  
  
"Oh." She pauses, briefly, somewhat thrown, since she is well aware that such a conversation with an outsider is not the sort of thing that is usually appreciated. "Well, then, you're welcome..."  
  
"Although I was rather surprised to hear about it from Duo over dinner at their place that evening," he continues, in a somewhat wry tone. "And I rather wish you had said something to me about your concerns first, but I suspect, thinking about it now, that it probably wouldn't have done you as much good anyway. Although it _would_ have spared me a bit of shock..."  
  
Dorothy appears confused by something, so Trowa pauses to allow her to ask, "You... heard about it from _Duo?_ Why would Wufei be saying anything to that chatterbox? Mein Gott, I only went to him because I thought he'd be the last person to spread the news all over the department..."  
  
Trowa chuckles lightly at her uncomfortable expression. "Apparently, Wufei isn't the type to keep secrets from his lover. And I wouldn't worry about Duo; he does know how to keep a secret, especially when it isn't his. Besides, it's a good thing Wufei _did_ talk to Duo about it, seeing as.. Doro? Are you alright? Here, drink..."  
  
Dorothy accepts the offered glass of soda, taking a sip, coughing, and wiping her face with her napkin before managing to choke out, "Lover?!" in an incredulous tone.  
  
"Ah. Yes. For some time now, evidently..."  
  
"Triton Bloom, that is _not_ funny. We _are_ talking about Chang Wufei, the man who is barely sociable and hasn't been out of mourning for his _wife_ for a full year yet? And Duo Maxwell, terror of the steno pool, biggest flirt of the century? The same Chang and Maxwell that can barely keep from _killing_ each other on a daily basis? How many times this past _week_ have they gone tearing down the hallways with Chang threatening to lop Duo's braid off at the neck? I shudder to think how they manage to share... an apartment..." She trails off and her eyes widen as the implications of that last fact suddenly sink in, in their full glory.  
  
"Nope, not funny at all. They do a remarkable cover-up at work, don't they?" Dorothy simply stares and sputters at that. "You know I wouldn't make something like that up, Doro. Although, in deference, they'd probably prefer you kept that little fact quiet. Ah, yes, you see it now?" he asks as her face begins to register realization. "It was news to me as well, although I am _quite_ sure it's no joke. I have to give them credit for their acting skills; even Quatre doesn't realize they've actually got a spare bedroom."  
  
"Well. That's certainly an interesting bit of news..." She shakes her head slightly as if to loosen cobwebs, then says, "Well, given that. You were saying it was a good thing Wufei did talk to Duo, because..."  
  
Trowa picks up the tale again. "Because Duo actually has a solution."  
  
"A solution? How so?"  
  
"Well, perhaps I should start at the beginning? Ah, here comes dinner..." Conversation stops for the delivery of their meals, and only resumes when the waiter is once again heading away from their table. "You knew I grew up in a Merc Company, of course."  
  
She nods, before asking, "Although I don't see what that has to do with Wufei and Duo being gay..."  
  
"I, ah, don't think they are. They're just - with each other, for reasons that have more to do with understanding each other than that either was looking for a man. And this doesn't have much to do with their being together, either, although that does come into the equation. This gets at why you were speaking to Wufei in the first place."  
  
"Because I wondered what your problem with kissing me was. Okay..." She is clearly puzzled by how the explanation is proceeding but, having been subjected to Trowa's story-telling style before, she has learned to wait for the background details before the conclusions.  
  
"Yes, exactly that. You see, I grew up in a camp full of men who really weren't the nicest or friendliest people around. They were kind enough to me, I guess, but, let's say, they didn't manage to teach me that much about being with a person you love? If there was anything those guys loved, it was their suits and their weapons, but if any of them loved anybody else, I never found out about it.  
  
"After I got up to space, I was with a circus for a while - about a year and a half, enough to learn a little tumbling and to find out I was good at the high wire - before I found another Merc Company and hired on with them. Well. That troop took me along on some of their victory celebrations - guess they figured I was old enough to handle it. I learned a few things about being together with another person, there - none of it much more than physical, and none of it very pleasant for whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of their attentions."(2)  
  
"Oh..." Dorothy obviously hadn't expected this blunt a discussion. Just as obviously, these are some of the aspects of Trowa's early life that really hadn't occurred to her earlier.  
  
"Anyway," Trowa continues after a few bites of his dinner, "you don't really need - or want - to know the details. The point is that what I learned about being with someone, physically, was that it only causes pain - and that's not something I wanted to cause you. So I've been trying to avoid the issue with you." He stabs an innocent vegetable rather more forcefully than necessary before lifting it to his mouth.  
  
"I see..." And she does, now. It makes perfect sense that he wouldn't want to start something he didn't want to finish.  
  
"Except, obviously," Trowa continues, "it wasn't working." She shakes her head negatively. "It makes sense, _now_ , but I couldn't figure out why you would _want_ me to hurt you, before."  
  
There is silence for a while as both chew and contemplate, before Dorothy ventures, "I didn't know you thought that, Triton. I guess there's a lot I still don't know about you, and I'm beginning to realize that I can't just fill it in on assumptions, can I? But, you said 'now' -what's different now?"  
  
"What's different now is you spoke to Wufei, who spoke to Duo, who understood where the problem was, and most of _what_ it was for that matter, and who spoke to me. And in the last couple of days, I've come to realize that everything - well, almost everything - I had assumed to be true was pretty much wrong. I'd mentioned dinner at their place? When Wufei called, I had no idea what it was about. I certainly wasn't prepared for Duo to sit there over juice and cookies and tell me point blank why I was afraid to get too close to you - or for the way they kept using 'we' so casually...  
  
"To make what could be a long story short - they've shown me just how far wrong my knowledge on the subject is - did you want dessert, or shall we head out?" She shakes her head, and Trowa raises his arm to signal the waiter, waits until he approaches, and asks him for the check before continuing. "And they've offered me some retraining on the subject."  
  
"What sort of 'retraining' are we talking about here, Triton?"  
  
"Detailed verbal information, some hands-on experience. Ah, thank you," he adds, as the waiter appears with the check. "Here, keep the change, thank you. Shall we, Doro?" He offers his lady her coat, and then his arm before walking her out of the small cafe.  
  
It is beginning to be dark out by the time they begin walking back towards Dorothy's home, which helps disguise the startlement on her face when Trowa, rather than just walking beside her and taking her hand as usual, slips his arm loosely around her waist. It isn't a very close hold, but he makes no protest when she leans in a little closer and loops her own arm around him, tucking her shoulder under his.  
  
Trowa steers them off the sidewalk and into the little park they passed on their way to dinner, leading Dorothy towards a bench near the playground area that is usually used by parents watching their children during the daytime. With the sun now down, the area is deserted. Once they are seated, Trowa begins speaking again. "After dinner on Tuesday, ah... they taught me a few things about loving someone, instead of just fucking them. Mostly we've been just talking, telling stories. They got some of the details you didn't, and won't, for instance. And I ended up staying in their guest room that night - I saw you'd tried to call on Tuesday and got the machine."  
  
"And you didn't call me back the next morning because...?"  
  
"Didn't check for messages 'till I got home from more talking with them last night; by then, it was pretty late and I didn't want to wake you. I'm guessing it wasn't anything urgent or you would have said something when I called from their place yesterday evening, right?"  
  
"True..."  
  
"I know it doesn't seem like it when they're at work, Doro, but those two - they really love each other. Seeing them together without their public faces... I think it made me realize just what it is I feel for you. I... I think I really need to take them up on the offer they've made. There's so much I don't know, and... I don't want to hurt you, even by accident, because I don't know something that's common knowledge."  
  
Dorothy has by this point turned to watch Trowa's profile as he looks, rather distantly, in the direction of the swing set. "And you think...?"  
  
Trowa shakes his head. "Don't think. I _know_ they can teach me what I'm missing. Duo knew _exactly_ why without my ever telling him a word. They _know_ , Dorothy, know parts of me _I_ don't even know, know what's going to freak me out before it happens. I love you, and that's _why_ I can't ask you to be the one who sits through all the mistakes I'll make unless I _do_ do this. Can you understand that?" He turns to look at her, meeting her eyes, an almost pleading expression on his face, as he asks this.  
  
"I'm not sure, Triton, but... it's important, isn't it? That you do this? Even if I told you I really hadn't wanted to do much more than kiss you?"  
  
"Even so, Doro. You're not going to tell me you're never going to want more, are you?"  
  
"Um. No, I'm not going to tell you 'never', Tri; probably not soon, but eventually..." she breaks off, cheeks darkening in the dim light of distant street lamps.  
  
He smiles, then, very softly, and shifts around, reaching his free hand across to land lightly on her shoulder, turning her towards him slightly before ghosting it in, up her throat to cup her cheek. His hand is warm against her face, and his voice almost a purr as he says, "Then, for now, I have no more reasons not to do... this..." His lips on hers are soft, pliant, at once asking her permission and offering her everything he is.  
  
A startled instant later, Dorothy's arms have come up, one around his back, and the other moving to cup the back of his head, joyfully accepting, seeking to draw him even closer. When he parts his lips she is quick to do so as well, then flicks her tongue lightly against his lower lip. He opens further in response, welcoming the invasion and greeting it with his own tongue, gently encouraging her explorations, then following it back to return the favour. When she reluctantly pulls away to breathe, he leans towards her again, laying a slow trail of smaller kisses along her jaw to her ear, where he leaves a last, careful kiss on the hinge of her jaw before murmuring, "Hmm?" in her ear.  
  
"Hmm," she agrees. "And this is because...?"  
  
"Because eventually..." is his reply, the implications hanging heavy in his voice. He places a few more careful kisses down her throat towards the hollow between her collarbones before continuing to speak. "When 'eventually' comes, it will be alright. Well, hopefully better than just alright," he laughs a little, "but I don't need to be afraid, any more, that it will get to that stage, you see?"  
  
He kisses, then licks gently at, that tempting little patch of skin, drawing an appreciative little moan from Dorothy's lips. Encouraged, he sets about trying to make her repeat that sound, until he is interrupted by her hands, one still worked into his hair and the other now resting under his chin, as she pulls his face up to kiss him again.  
  
It is perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes later that reality reasserts itself. Somewhere in that time, Dorothy has moved to kneel astride Trowa's lap, her knees hanging over the back edge of the bench and both arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders. Trowa still has his hands resting lightly at her waist where he'd helped her into their current position, although his fingers now brush lower over her hips. It is at about this time that the wrong combination of change of grip and head movement results in Dorothy breaking their kiss with a startled yelp.  
  
"Wha... Doro? What is it?"  
  
"You got my hair. Ow."  
  
"Oops. Sorry, love..." He kisses her cheek in apology. Suddenly a thought strikes him, and a chuckle escapes before he squelches it.  
  
"What?" Dorothy sounds rather miffed that he would find the situation funny.  
  
"Oh, just that I was, rather obliquely, warned about that..." Another chuckle escapes him, before he comments, "And now we know why Duo keeps his hair braided at nights... Hey!" He mock-cowers at the glare she gives him for that. "You should've seen Wufei's face though - it looked like _he_ had been the one being chased through the office with threats of mayhem upon his person..."  
  
Dorothy blinks at the unlikely image of reversed roles, and joins him in laughing, before wincing as her knees make themselves felt. "Ooh. Okay, I think we'd better move now... before my knees fall off. Come on, help me up?"  
  
He nods, and steadies her as they both stand up. "Perhaps we should get you home now?" Trowa's voice is still faintly tinged with the husky tones of his desire as he tells her, "I don't think 'eventually' means 'later this evening' - and I have to admit that sounds very tempting right about now. So..."  
  
"Mmmm. Yeah, it does, doesn't it? But you're right, it is getting kind of late. And I have some thinking to do myself. I guess I don't get to be your first, now, do I?"  
  
"Hm? Of course you do; I've never had a girlfriend before you, you know that."  
  
"You never... that's not what I meant." He shrugs in response. "Let me guess," she asks, "one of those details I really don't want to know about, right?" Trowa nods. "Well, then... I guess I really don't have anything to lose by this, do I?"  
  
This time he shakes his head, "No, not really. My company this weekend, but..."  
  
"So soon? Well..." She walks on silently a little further before asking, "They know what they're doing, obviously, but... I'm not... I mean..."  
  
"Don't forget, Doro, Wufei _was_ married; it's why you spoke to him in the first place, right? I've been promised a few lectures on comparative anatomy. Although you'll have to suffer the practice runs there..." There's the barest hint of a tease in his voice at that.  
  
"Ah. True..."  
  
"They'll take good care of me, Dorothy. You can trust in that."  
  
"Okay, then..."  
  
"Doro." He stops and turns her in the circle of his arm to face him as he says, "I love you. Don't forget that." He punctuates the statement by leaning in and stealing her breath away with another kiss - one of the sort that might, under other circumstances, have led to the immediate acquirement of a room and far fewer clothes than the chilly October air dictated. As it is, Trowa laces it with all the passion and need at his command. When he finally releases her lips, Dorothy is practically quivering with the strength of her own response, and he wraps her closely in his arms. Acting half on instinct and half on the jumbled memories from two nights previous, Trowa finds himself stroking her back and whispering his love for her into her hair as she regains her equilibrium.  
  
When she is able to answer him back, in much the same words, he loosens his hold enough to set her back on her own feet, and they begin walking again. It is less than another block to her building, and once she is safely at her own doorstep, Trowa releases her, dips her a bow, and backs up preparatory to turning away. "What, no kiss goodnight?" Dorothy teases.  
  
"I don't think I'd better, Dorothy." He smiles at her then, and bids her, "Pleasant dreams," before turning to stride briskly down the hall, and soon he is out of sight.  
  
"No, I suppose not," she whispers, as she lets herself into her apartment and kicks her shoes off. "I suppose not..." The scent of freesias fills the air as she gets ready for bed, snuggling up under her covers with hazy, half-formed fantasies of the promises that were hidden in that last kiss for company.  
  
Trowa, meanwhile, spends the rest of his walk home replaying the evening and wishing he hadn't worn _this_ pair of jeans - which happens to be getting just a little tight on him, now that he's actually eating on a regular basis and not spending most of every day in tumbling runs and mucking cages, or muscling around the controls of an eight-ton suit. Ah, well, he thinks as he lets himself into his own small apartment, locks the door behind him reflexively, and begins stripping down for a shower as he walks towards the bathroom. The jeans are probably the worst part of the day, and that, really, is not a bad thing after all!  
  
Not more than fifteen minutes later, clean, dry, and significantly less tense, Trowa is slipping between his own sheets, contemplating the possibility that he might not be waking up alone in the now-foreseeable future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) The first circus isn't canon, but it's a good guess; he had to have learned his stuff someplace! The existence of the second Merc company is canon, if you believe Blind Target, but what happened to/with Trowa while he was there is only a guess.


	7. Friday : TGIF! The Boys Go Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Friday afternoon begins with an assignment for covert security duty coming in for Agents Sand and Stone - otherwise known to their friends as Quatre Winner and Heero Yui. The fact that they have been summoned to see Dorothy doesn't make them terribly happy -especially Heero, who takes one look at his partner that threatens utter mayhem and says to him, "Don't you _dare_..." Dare _what_ , exactly, is not stated, however, and they take themselves off to the other wing of the building.

This leaves the other four agents - Wind and Rain, and Shade and Shadow - to themselves, and since all is otherwise quiet it promises to be a dull afternoon. Wufei, caught up on paperwork and tired of folding cranes, pops over to chat quietly with Trowa. Zechs sits back in his chair from where he has been pulling up a picture and profile. With a great huff of air through his bangs, he comments to the room in general, "Gyaaaah. It _would_ have to be that one. I knew I'd get stuck going out with all the brainless chits in the whole Kingdom, but did it have to be her _first?_ Gott... I thought the name sounded too familiar when I typed it in."  
  
"What's so bad about her, Zechs? You've got her on the 'suitable' list, how bad can she be?" is Trowa's question.  
  
"'Suitable', as in 'suitable for His Highness the ditzy Crown Prince Milliardo Peacecraft to be seen with in public'. In this case, that's not anything even _remotely_ like 'suitable for Zechs Merquise to spend an afternoon with while retaining his sanity'. She's a leech and a gold-digger - and those are some of her better points. She's also a little slow, and a horrible dancer - unless a miracle has occurred since the last time I had the great displeasure of watching her waltzing..."  
  
"And you're doing this _why_ , exactly, then?"  
  
"Une's idea. Establishing cover, mostly. I'm pretty much on permanent assignment to these little soirees of Relena's unless I'm on assignment elsewhere at the time. People will tell the slightly half-witted Ambassador a lot if they think they can get something out of it - or by accident if they think he won't understand it. And flirting with the society maidens is all part of the cover, according to her. Evidently I can't get away with showing up without a date any more; the rags are starting to wonder. Fortunately, this girl isn't _terribly_ likely to be trying to undress me on the dance floor..."  
  
"Hmm?" is Wufei's startled interjection at that comment.  
  
"Oh, you don't have the slightest idea how bad it gets, do you? Treize had a few quite scathing comments to make on the subject when I was getting ready to attend a few of these things in Bremen. I think they were mostly scared away from me by the mask - and I flat refused to dance at all, since I was usually on guard-dog duty anyway, but I got to hear all about some of the worst offenders -most of whom are probably on that list, in the 'suitable' category, by the way. And I imagine it's going to be a good bit worse, since my rank is that much higher than his was. I'm sure it'd be a dream assignment if I actually liked any of these girls, but..." he simply rolls his eyes as the conclusion of this thought. "And speaking of girls one likes, Triton - you've been off in a daze again today, and I'm betting it had something to do with the flowers we spent two hours discussing yesterday..."  
  
Trowa flushes a little at the reference to his evening the night before, but Wufei, rather uncharacteristically, joins in with a "Yes, do tell; how did your evening with the illustrious Mistress of Covert Ops go?"  
  
Cornered, Trowa begins at the beginning. "Well, the flowers were a hit - thanks, Zechs, I'd never have thought of freesias, and they didn't have anything remotely daisy-like." Zechs smiles and nods at this, and Trowa continues, "We had dinner at the cafe on Kiev -nice and quiet - and we, ah, discussed a few things that maybe we should have talked about sooner. Stuff from the past, you know? We six don't exactly have the most normal pasts, do we? So. Anyway, I think we got a few misunderstandings straightened out. And she's a _very_ good kisser..." The dreamy look that has been hovering for most of the day is back on Trowa's face with the last sentence.  
  
Zechs and Wufei take a look at Trowa's expression, then take a look at each other, and are just about to launch into teasing him when a noise at the end of the hall catches their attention. Looking around the corner of the wall, Wufei motions to the other two, and then raps on his own doorframe for Duo to come take a look. It is Quatre, although it still startles his teammates to hear him speaking in the baritone range where his voice seems to have settled, and he seems to be talking to someone. "Oh, come on, I only have to stop by the office for a second to shut down the systems and grab a file."  
  
The four Agents watching are surprised to see a girl in a neat business ensemble stepping shyly around the corner, and then taking the arm Quatre extends to her. She is almost as tall as the Winner Heir - for that appears to be his current role - but it is still difficult to tell what she looks like, as she keeps her face demurely averted. From what little they can see of her, however, her dark complexion and hair marks her far more surely as being of Arabic descent than does Quatre's own fair colouring. She waits silently for Quatre to finish gathering up a file from his desk, and turning off both his and Heero's terminals for the weekend. Then he turns to his companion and says, "Okay, all done, let's get out of here, shall we?" She just looks up at him and nearly - _nearly_ \- glares before evidently thinking better of it.  
  
Zechs clears his throat, and asks, "Quatre - who's this?"  
  
"Oh! Oh, this lovely young lady is going to be accompanying me to Relena's party tomorrow - and I'm afraid we have an engagement this afternoon as well. I'm so sorry, but we really do have to get going now. See you there tomorrow, Zechs?" With that, he leads her quickly back out the way they came in.  
  
From around the corner an instant later, Heero can be heard asking, "Are you _quite_ finished now? We can go?"  
  
Quatre replies, sounding somewhat martyred, "Yes, Heero, we can go now..." and there is only the sound of retreating footsteps.  
  
+  
  
Later - nearly at quitting time for the day - Wufei again puts in an appearance in the other Agents' office. "Ah, Triton, I know Dorothy has working meetings tonight and most of tomorrow, so you are free this evening, yes? What about you, Merquise? Duo thought it might be nice to have a guys' night out, the four of us. Have dinner together, hit a dance club together, and, I quote, 'make all the girls jealous', unquote. Yes?"  
  
The two seem to think it's an excellent idea. Trowa notes that it'd be nice to have something to do, and the company would certainly be welcome. Zechs, facing the prospect of dealing with an empty-headed girl all afternoon tomorrow, adds that it will be a pleasure to be able to speak intelligently to someone he's out with, and he only hopes they can actually dance. However, if he's going to be going out clubbing, perhaps someone could help him do something with his hair, since it's far too recognizable as is. He has temporary colouring already, but it needs to be brushed in, and a hand with that would be appreciated. Wufei nods, thinking _that_ an excellent idea, and promises to send Duo around to discuss it.  
  
Five minutes later Duo pops his head into their office and says, "Hey, it's just brush-in colour, not the wet-rinse stuff, right?" At Zechs' nod, he inquires about the colour and is told there's a choice of fantasy shades - blue, purple, emerald, and dark wine -and a lovely shade of chestnut. "Ooh, bring that - and can we use some of the purple? That'd be too cool... Got an idea. Okay -how about you guys go home and change, and then - you're still only a couple doors from each other, right? Good - why don't you just come on over together in half an hour, and we can all finish getting ready together. How 'bout jeans and a white T-shirt? We'll all match..." At Trowa's somewhat incredulous look, he rolls his eyes and adds, "Yes, I can find a white T-shirt in my closet, thanks so much..." Getting nods of agreement from both, he pops back out again.  
  
Half an hour later, Zechs meets Trowa outside their respective apartments for the walk to Duo and Wufei's place, already looking very similar just by their outfits. Zechs has a brush and a couple of jars of coloured powders in his hands, which he shows to Trowa as they walk through the corridors. Duo answers the door, dressed in the same costume, and leads the two into the living room. Once there, he hands the purple powder to Trowa and waves him to a chair. He seats Zechs on one end of the couch, plopping down behind him with the jar of brown powder and the brush, immediately setting to work on turning him into a brunet for the evening. By the time Duo has finished this task, Wufei has made his appearance as well, also dressed, but with his hair still down and carrying a comb and three elastic hair ties.  
  
Duo looks up at Wufei and grins, waving him to a spot on the couch and beginning to add streaks of the chestnut powder to his hair. When he is satisfied with the colour, he caps the jar and sets it down on the table. Then he takes up the comb, and divides off a section of Wufei's hair near the front, combing it forward to fall carelessly over half his partner's face; the remainder is pulled neatly back into its customary sleek tail, held closely at the nape of his neck. Duo taps his shoulder then, telling him, "You're done! Go look..."  
  
Wufei heads to the bathroom to check the mirror, and Trowa is waved to a position on the couch. Duo takes the purple powder from his hands, and proceeds to brush a few streaks of that colour into the shock of auburn hair. He nods approvingly and then jerks his head towards the bathroom. Trowa obediently goes. A moment later, his rather startled squawk can be heard, then Wufei's voice answers, "Yes, twins... do you not think so?" Two voices are raised in laughter at that.  
  
By this time, Duo has begun brushing the purple streaks into Zechs' hair, being careful to keep his strokes light enough not to disturb the first layer of colour. Finally, he gathers the now quite dark mass into a single ponytail high on Zechs' head, looping the covered elastic tightly. "Alright, you're good. You wanna shoo one of them out here to do me?"  
  
Zechs nods, and shortly, Wufei comes back out of the bathroom to finish the costuming process. "Zechs said you wanted someone to come out and, I quote, 'do you'? Do you really think we have time for that?"  
  
Duo blinks. "I did say that, didn't I?"  
  
"Ai. You did. Did you know he carries mascara?" is Wufei's next question to Duo, whose mouth opens in shock.  
  
"No, but damn it's a good thing he does - I completely forgot about those white eyebrows..."  
  
For some reason, Wufei finds this very funny, and Duo mutters under his breath as the other two emerge. "What?" comes Zechs' plaintive question. "It doesn't _work_ unless I do the eyebrows dark too... Oh, shut up... Gah!" By this time, Wufei has finished his own task of copying Zechs' current hairstyle on Duo's head, and the four are ready to go. Oddly enough, they all seem to have picked plain black leather jackets as an outer layer, but none of them seems to notice that little fact. If they do, no-one mentions it.  
  
+  
  
Dinner is relatively peaceful, despite the fact that they have picked a busy diner that caters to a fairly rough crowd. That the four unconsciously move together as if trained to do so for years on end probably contributes to the quiet they enjoy. And, even given the effeminate hairstyles they wear, any casual trouble is firmly discouraged, once they are seated and have taken off their jackets, by the ripple of well-muscled biceps casually revealed by rolled-up sleeves.  
  
Duo orders for all four even before they've all been seated - house burgers all around, no mustard on this one, no mayo on that, no cheese on the third, and no relish on his own; he pauses only once, to confirm that Zechs wants lemon in his iced tea. It doesn't hurt Duo's performance any that he has eaten with each of them before, and the house burger is, in his words as he slides with catlike grace into his seat by the wall, the only thing really worth eating on the menu. Still, two of his three companions are duly impressed; the third is merely smugly proud.  
  
During dinner, Duo suggests a couple of dance clubs, and they settle on one that happens to cater to a very mixed crowd, but boasts music that is set to a level where it is possible to carry on a spoken - vs shouted - conversation at the tables beside the dance floor. It is a surprise when Zechs proposes, given the nature of the club, that they can thus get away with dancing only with each other. "What? I am going to have to sit through four solid hours of listening to 'the latest style' and fending off drunken advances tomorrow afternoon; hells, I'm going to have to play at _making_ drunken advances half the afternoon too. I didn't come out here tonight so I could practice defending my virtue! At least none of you three are planning on separating me from my clothes."  
  
Zechs pauses to stab a chip, then looks up and, chuckling slightly, says, "Or at least, if you were, this isn't the way you'd do it. High explosives," he says, waving his fork towards the trio, "or something very sharp and pointy, but not with your bare hands on a dance club floor. Tell me I'm wrong." Looking around at the open mouthed expressions, he adds, "Unless you don't _want_ me to look menacingly at all the cute thangs that are going to come try and haul you guys away?" Wufei closes his mouth first, but it is Duo who manages to speak first, muttering something about ZERO and mind readers who see the future...  
  
+  
  
And a good time is had by all, especially the spectators at the club who gather to watch the four beautiful young men grinding and gyrating on the floor. It is difficult to tell which of the four is most impressed by how well the others dance, and who is most surprised by one of his teammates. Trowa, perhaps inspired by the fact that Wufei has just done so, catches Duo from behind in a very sultry swivel-and-grind of the hips. Zechs takes full advantage of his greater size and Trowa's flexibility to hoist his partner into a series of jive lifts. He then offers his linked hands to Wufei, who takes advantage of the lift offered to perform a few rather dazzling aerial flips of his own. Fortunately the loft ceiling is high enough to allow for these acrobatics! Finally, Zechs turns to Duo, sweeping him an outrageous bow before stepping up, dipping him deeply enough that his hair sweeps the floor, and then sending him into a series of spins before handing him off, laughing madly, into Wufei's arms where he clings dizzily for a moment.  
  
Trowa is, in turn, only too happy to spin Zechs about a few times, albeit a little more awkwardly given the height differential, then abruptly flips back-to-back with him, grabbing his wrists to hold their arms out straight to either side, and starts a shimmy. By the time the two are standing again, Duo has moved to face Zechs, and Wufei has stepped up in front of Trowa, both moving in close to bracket their teammates. The four soon more closely resemble a single writhing entity, knees and legs interwoven, hands linked, all moving together, instinctively reading and reacting to each others' movements.  
  
All too soon the set ends and they pull apart to half-walk, half-stagger, arms linked around each others' waists and shoulders, to the booth set a little apart from the dance floor that they had claimed as their own and order another round of sodas. They are all giddy and laughing, nearly drunk on the movement and contact and sheer enjoyment of letting go; even Wufei seems to have caught Duo's hands-on approach, according to Zechs, who is most surprised by that. "Ah, Wufei here's a dance junkie, Zechs," is Duo's comment to that. "Turn on the right music and watch out... lock up the pointy instruments, hey 'Fei?" Wufei bats him good-naturedly on the arm, grumbling something about irreverent fools, but he is laughing as he shoots back that yes, it would probably keep Duo from putting them to some inappropriate use...  
  
A few minutes later, when all four have had a chance to drink and breathe, Wufei remarks that their exposure to ZERO seems to have been good for something after all, and it would've been nice if it's other applications had been as much fun as this evening has been. Trowa agrees, and points out that they really should do this again, sometime soon. Zechs can only nod agreement to that, muttering something that doesn't rise above the volume of the music in the background. Duo, sitting closest to him, shoots a peculiar look at Zechs under cover of his bangs, but says nothing, merely taking a sip of his drink and turning the conversation to other topics, unrelated to work, wars, or women...  
  
The four take another short set on the dance floor after that, switching partners often and easily, or moving all together as before. When a slower ballad comes up in the middle of the set, Zechs isn't really thinking about it when he gathers Duo, who happens to be his partner at the time, into a closer hold and begins to sway gently in time with the music, reacting automatically to the change in tempo. Wufei, noticing the pair, lifts one eyebrow, then catches Trowa's sleeve and hence attention before he can leave the floor, and mouths "Shall we?" to him before offering his own arms. A half-shrug is all the answer he is given before Trowa steps up to join him. A brief problem of dominance is quickly solved, each keeping one arm on the other's shoulder and a hand on the other's opposite hip. They trade out partners for the next song again, and for the next ballad Zechs makes a show of waltzing Trowa very elegantly about the floor, while Duo is in Wufei's arms again, looking very much like the pair of teens in love that they are.  
  
They leave the club a few songs later; while it isn't yet too late in the evening, they all have busy days ahead on the morrow. And so they make their way home again, walking four abreast down the sidewalk, still chattering brightly and keeping close together, none willing to have to move back a rank or lose the contact. Duo may be the only one who could verbally explain the simple need to touch another human being, or the rush brought on by having met that need, but all four are feeling the effects. It has worn off somewhat by the time the four reach Duo and Wufei's apartment, where Zechs retrieves his brush and jars of colour, so that Zechs and Trowa are able to walk merely side by side through the corridors to their own apartments, but the close feeling of connection remains.  
  
+  
  
A little later on, behind a closed set of doors, a sleepy voice can be heard saying, "He was really enjoying himself there - I was surprised to see him so open about it..."

Another voice answers, something not very clear, apparently because it is being murmured directly against the first speaker's ear.

"No," comes the first voice again, "I mean, _really_ enjoying himself out there. You weren't the one slow dancing with him..."

A snort of laughter follows this announcement, and then no more is heard. Well, no more coherent speech is heard, at any rate...


	8. Saturday morning : On Your Mark, Get Set...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Zechs wakes late, having had to stay up long enough to let his hair dry somewhat after washing the colour out of it before going to bed. Not that the colour would have come off on clothes or linens - the formula, once applied with the requisite sort of brush, bonds to the hair. However, it becomes water-soluble when soap or detergent of any variety is applied, so it is truly a temporary effect. The more unusual colours -the blues and greens and pinks - are quite popular for club-goers who want to add a little sparkle, and the more usual hair colours are quite often used in the hair salons to add highlights for special occasion hairdo's, or to give a client a chance to see what a particular shade will look like before they use a more permanent colouring agent.

That said, Zechs' natural hair colour is so pale that he usually has to wash it twice to get all traces of the powder out, so this morning sees him once again under water, scrubbing the shampoo thoroughly through his hair, and spending a little more time reminiscing on the evening just past. It felt... really nice to be able to do that - just spend time with the guys. He felt like part of a team, in a way he really hasn't since his piloting skills set him apart from the other soldiers in OZ, and his notoriety ever since has been such that he had nearly given up hope of finding that again. And it was... _fun_ to be able to go out dancing like that; it just plain felt _good_ to be able to be human, to have that little bit of human contact. He hadn't even realized he'd been missing it, but it had been _so_ good to be able to just enjoy himself and his company...  
  
All too soon, however, he is done and emerges to dress in nondescript clothes so that he can attend to the tasks of collecting flowers and picking up the lovely formal afternoon suit he ordered for this afternoon without drawing too much attention to himself. He plans to get back in plenty of time so that he can have lunch and get dressed before driving himself over to the pickup point he specified for the limo - a spot in front of one of the palace's minor residences, to which he would be entitled if it weren't so dreadfully inconvenient. He resolves to have a word with Relena very soon about getting it properly set up - just in case.  
  
Trowa, on the other hand, wakes at his usual time and spends a quiet morning wondering if he really has finally lost all his marbles. After all, he is about to face one of his larger fears, head on, and there will be no hiding from it, now. Still, he thinks, it hasn't been so bad up to now. Parts of the past week have been quite pleasant. In fact, most of the time he has been spending with Duo and Wufei has been very pleasant indeed, once he has let go his initial fear-filled reactions. These are people he has known and worked with over the last two and a half years, now - even though he hasn't really had as much of an opportunity to work with these two as he has with Heero and Quatre - and there is no doubting their words to him. That they care deeply for him cannot be questioned; neither would say such a thing were it untrue. Duo, simply on the principle of the thing, and Wufei, because it would not be honourable to take such a sentiment lightly.  
  
And they have not only promised him the possibility of a pleasant experience, but have shown him what that possibility looks like. In fact, he muses, it looked as if Duo was getting more pleasure out of their union than Wufei was, as he thinks about the expressions they were wearing. And he has to admit the back rubs received and given were pleasant in their own right - as was the dancing last night. That had been... safe enough, given the dimness of the club's lighting and its dress code, which tended to be a bit conservative. It had been fun to show off his moves, and although he still wasn't sure where it had come from, the various closer dances had also been, well, fun - for lack of any better terminology.  
  
By the time he calls over to Duo and Wufei's apartment, a little after 0900hrs, to be sure that the other two are awake, he's quite settled and calm - and even beginning to get a little excited at the prospect.  
  
They are, indeed, up, and have cleaned up themselves and the apartment, but have yet to formulate any particular plan of action for the day, when he arrives there a short time later. The three young men discuss a little among themselves. Given that Trowa wants to try "everything", the question is more one of what is to come first. The receive-and-copy method having worked rather well for him on Wednesday evening, it is suggested again. Of course, the problem there is that, really, he's afraid to be hurt this way, and the way he shifts in his seat as he says it speaks volumes. So Duo shares a bit of his own experience - "Like flying, man" - and Wufei is able to reassure him that he is quite willing to stop if necessary, and they need not continue if Trowa doesn't feel able to...  
  
"This is for you, Tro," Duo puts in then. "All we can do is offer; I think it'll help you to take us up on this, but you don't have to if you don't want to - you can walk out any time. No strings, no debt, no pressure, no nothing. And it's not like you can leave us both high and dry, right? I'm sure we'd both prefer you finish anything you start, but..." Duo shrugs, "we have each other if it comes to that, so that's not a valid reason to mess yourself up, right? This is your show, remember?"  
  
Wufei adds that he is not the sort of man to take an unwilling partner - a fact which caused him much grief from the elders, in fact, until... but that's another story. However, that much of a hint leaves Trowa curious, and Duo hasn't heard the full tale before either. So Wufei relates the story of how he was informed that he'd been chosen as Meilan's husband. Since there were no male grandchildren, she became the heir, although normally only the men would stay with the family, and women would be married into a new clan. His family was, sort of, honoured that one of their sons had been chosen, but it did him no great honour for his own self. Wufei's voice is no longer bitter as he relates this, but the hint of pain remains as he translates the words that described his role as "unnecessary husband".(1)  
  
"Oh, man. No wonder you spent so much time and energy trying to prove yourself worthy... shit, 'Fei... that sucks..." Duo's voice aches for his lover's pain.  
  
It does explain, however, how Wufei came to be a Dragon - for however brief a time that term was valid; he is unsure as to whether he is now entitled to call himself that. Officially, Wufei supposes, the marriage was a form of adoption into the Long clan, but his family was well enough off that he was not required to change his own name, merely -merely! - that which his children - and it was assumed that he _would_ be having children - would carry. Honour, he points out, was evidently much more important to his Nataku than to his own clan, just as Justice was always _her_ battle cry... "It does not matter now, however; she is dead, and there will be no more Dragons.  
  
"In any case, we did not get along very well. It was an arranged marriage, and I had been raised a scholar and pacifist - hush, Duo, I am coming to that - where she had been raised a warrior, a fighter for justice. She wanted nothing to do with me, it seemed - and that is where the trouble with the elders came in. But she was beautiful, and a fiery bright spirit, and I wanted..."  
  
Wufei shakes his head, and then says, "One morning, I had gone out back to the field to read. Meilan came out there, just as it started to spit rain, and she picked a fight with me. She said," he pauses to laugh - a dry, humourless laugh - before he continues, "She said she wanted to show me her justice; I beat her in three moves. She could not understand how it was possible for me to win the match, and I told her something I really should have remembered, afterwards - that justice is found in individual circumstances, not in simple strength, and that battles based on such a concept were meaningless. Master O told me, later, that I had not won at all, and why.  
  
"Later that day, I made my apologies - and offered to make amends for the injury to her shoulder. Only justice, was my excuse." He laughs, mocking himself with the sound. "She taunted me, then, again, about not being a worthy husband, not fulfilling my duties. Yet how could I?" Wufei's voice takes on a wry note as he adds, "It is a bit difficult to do from outside the bedchamber she occupied. She had nothing else to say after I pointed that out, but, when I got done with her shoulder, we, ah... she..."  
  
"Led you off to bed?" is Duo's helpful suggestion. Wufei nods. "I remember you saying something about the evening after that fight..."  
  
"Yes. Thank you. After that night, things were better between us, although she was always so proud. Then OZ attacked, and she took the Tallgeese out to fight them. Merquise tells me _he_ nearly died the first time he piloted it, from the physical stress on his body, and he was then as he is now. Meilan - she was even smaller than I, and I am not overly large myself. I realize now that she was effectively already dead when she first took off, but at the time I could not have known. She wanted to save the flowers in the field behind the house. The flowers! I took Shenlong out, still unarmed, to defend her. In the end, she saved me, and it killed her. I took up her fight, then; it was all I could offer her ghost. I never even really had a chance to make it work between us, although I did at least get to try, for that short time..." He breaks off then, trying valiantly to suppress the old pain.  
  
Duo has by this time gotten up, and sat down beside Wufei, and wraps him gently in a soft and comforting hug. "She must have loved you too, by the end, 'Fei... did you think she would have saved that Gundam if somebody else were in it? That she cared for the machine more than for you? It was _your_ flowers she was defending - your place, where you would go to sit and read and be you... She loved _you_ , 'Fei..." Duo kisses his beloved softly on the forehead and pulls him closer, rearranging his legs so that Wufei is tucked closely against the whole length of his body, his head resting against Duo's chest as a too long repressed sob erupts. Duo strokes his lover's back softly, murmuring, "She loved you, 'Fei. _I_ love you... It's okay, baby... I love you..."  
  
Trowa, forgotten in the moment, stands quietly, and goes into the bathroom, where he wets a small towel with cool water and wrings it out, before padding softly back into the living room. When Wufei seems to have mostly wound down, he briefly catches Duo's eyes, then lays a hand on Wufei's shoulder, and says, quietly, "You are a man of great honour and worth, Wufei. For as long as I have known you, even when you didn't believe it yourself, even when we weren't fighting on the same side, or even for the same purpose, you have always, always been an honourable man, and worthy of my utmost respect. I am privileged beyond words to be considered your brother." He puts the cloth into Wufei's hands, then, and gives Wufei's shoulder a comforting squeeze before backing away.  
  
Wufei nods, then, and after a moment he pulls away from Duo's shoulder and wipes at his face with the damp towel. He only has time to sniff once before large hands are taking the towel and placing a tissue in his hands instead. He wipes at his nose, clearing the last of the tears away, and the hands retrieve the tissue as well, as he leans his forehead into Duo's shoulder for a few last moments to compose himself. Duo's voice above his head says softly, "Kitchen, cupboard under the sink." Wufei's head snaps up as he remembers that there has been more than one witness to his grief and he struggles briefly for a moment to sit up straighter, but then there is a third hand resting comfortingly between his shoulders, and another on his knee, as Trowa kneels beside him and speaks softly, "Shh... savaa, mo namii, savaa... saa saa..."(2) The words don't make any sense to Wufei, but the tone is soothing and accepting, and he absorbs the sentiment, dredging calmness out of the comforting presences of his friend and lover.  
  
"Well, then," he finally remarks, with a trace of his familiar dry humour lurking around the edges of his voice, "Where were we before I..."  
  
"Hmm," Duo is already cutting in. "I think we were trying to decide how many different shades of pink we were going to make Tro here turn before we actually got down to doin' the horizontal mamba with him..." And Trowa does, indeed, flush at the words, although there is a distinct aura of excitement hanging over him as well. Wufei blinks, evidently processing Duo's peculiar terminology for a moment, and then nods, and gets up from the couch.  
  
"I will return shortly," he offers as he walks into the bedroom. Trowa looks at Duo, a question in his eyes. Duo shakes his head and spreads his hands in confusion. They only have a moment to wait and listen to the sounds of rummaging, however, before Wufei returns with several objects in his hands. He carries his treasures to the low table and spreads them out so that they can be easily seen, and begins spreading them out, naming things as he does so: "Towels - very handy; lube -likewise; condoms, which we will be using some of now - take the rest of those home with you, by the way, Triton; pencils, and paper." The listed items have been spread out, drawing apparatus stacked neatly on top of the artists' sketchbook that formed the lowest layer of the stack.  
  
"You're going to draw him a picture?" is Duo's somewhat incredulous exclamation.  
  
"Of course, Duo - unless _you_ happen to see a willing female lying about the place to act as a model?" Wufei's voice has adopted what might be taken for a smugly superior tone, were it not combined with the glint of mischief in his dark eyes; evidently Duo hadn't yet considered that part of the equation. It should be surprising, perhaps, but as it probably had more to do with his being focused on the more immediate concerns, Wufei is content to stop there. "Besides which, I did rather promise such a lecture... What _we_ are going to be doing differs in several important ways from what Dorothy will be expecting, and I am not so good at verbal descriptions as you in this language that I can manage without _some_ sort of visual aid..."  
  
That said, Wufei picks up the pad and pencil, and begins rapidly sketching something. When he puts the pad down less than a minute later, Duo blinks, then flat out _stares_ at the paper, before laughingly commenting, "Geez, 'Fei, I thought you knew how to draw..."  
  
"Oh, hush, Duo, and look at what the cute little stick people are _doing_ ," is the response he gets. Sure enough, when Duo looks again, he laughs again, but this time in recognition. Four pairs of stick people are engaged in intimate, if two dimensional, embraces upon the page. Moreover, their hairstyles have been adjusted to suggest the people who had taken, or would be taking, the positions thus illustrated.  
  
"Now, Triton - you saw this position already," he says, pointing to the first pair of stick figures, "and this one beside it as well. Both allow you to see your partners face, and put the deliverer largely in charge of the motion; they are rather popular, as positions go. Now, this one here, as you see," he points to another pair of figures, one with a shock of hair over its face, the other with what appears to be a small ponytail, "is how I would like to put you - and I would suggest it for the first time with your lady as well - it puts the receiver largely in charge of the motion, but still gives the eye contact."  
  
Trowa, leaning in to see, nods as he follows the different positions indicated, figuring the relative ranges of movement, as Wufei continues his explanation. "And this one here gives the deliverer the best view of what he is doing, although you do lose out on the eye contact - and I am thinking to have you take Duo like this afterwards, yes? Since I can keep an eye on his reactions as well, just in case." Both Trowa and Duo nod at this point. "All agreed? Good, then. Now, lecture for the sake of lecture is done. Yes, we will get to some other topics later, but for now, are you ready? Comfortable? Do you need anything? A drink? The bathroom? Best go now, save distraction later... "  
  
Trowa obediently disappears towards the bathroom, partly out of need for the facilities, and partly to splash some water on his face, and spend a minute staring at his reflection in the mirror, telling himself one more time that this isn't like those other times, that this is Duo and Wufei out there, with all that that implies, and that yes, he does want to do this. And, breathing deeply, and thinking back over the past few days, he realizes that at least part of the fluttering in his stomach is due to excitement rather than nerves. In fact, the more he thinks about it, the more the prospect of finding out just what it is that can reduce Duo Maxwell - of all people - to a shivering, incoherent mass excites him.  
  
A knock on the door startles him out of his reverie. "Triton? Are you well?" Wufei's voice is more curious than concerned, although Trowa has a feeling that it could very easily become concerned if he doesn't say something quickly. "I'm fine, Wufei. Sorry to worry you, I was just... thinking, mostly." He opens the door as he speaks, smiling as he meets his friend's eyes.  
  
Wufei nods, then slips by him, saying, "Go on, then. Duo is waiting for you out there; he could use a hand." The door clicks shut behind him without leaving time for Trowa to demand an explanation of the cryptic phrase.  
  
However, the meaning becomes immediately obvious as he returns to the living room. Duo is having some trouble with spreading a blanket out evenly on the floor there, and there is a folded quilt and a small pile of pillows and cushions on the floor behind him. The table has been moved right up against the wall, and with Trowa's help the centre of the room is quickly transformed into a comfortable area to lie down - or play around on. As they work, Duo asks, "Did you want me to stick around for this, or leave you two alone? I mean, I'd like to stay, but if it makes you uncomfortable I can go read or something..."  
  
"No, stay. I... think I'd like that. Knowing I'm not here alone might keep a lid on the memories so I can focus on the present..."  
  
"Fair enough. Maybe I'll be able to see what it is my Dragon there is _doing_ to me that feels so damned good, too. I'm pretty sure he'd like a try, although he's never said as much. I've never really been coherent enough to figure it out by the feel, though, and you're not the only one who doesn't want to screw this up." Duo gives a saucy wink, then, scooting a little closer, he asks, "Is it starting something if I kiss you first, today?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. At least, not today. But I'll spare you the indecision," is Trowa's response. He gathers Duo into his arms, brushes their lips together gently once, then kisses him again, more deeply.  
  
The sight that meets Wufei's eyes, therefore, when he rounds the corner into the living room, is that of Trowa and Duo, kneeling together in the center of the floor, lips locked in a very thorough and passionate kiss. As he watches, Duo's small hungry whimper is all he needs to hear to know that Trowa has learned this particular lesson very well. The sound, and the sight, combine to stir life to certain lower regions of his body. The thought that the two ex-pilots are very pretty together crosses his mind as he walks softly across the floor, hands already moving to lift his shirt over his head and deposit it on the couch on his way to join them. He wonders briefly if he is more than usually attracted to their colouring, noting the similarities, but dismisses the thought as being of no consequence; neither one would be half as attractive to him without their being _who_ they are.  
  
Wufei sinks to his own knees behind Trowa, attracting his attention as he passes beside him, and lays his hands on a hip and shoulder before leaning in to lay a trail of small kisses along Trowa's bare neck, up towards his ear. Wufei slips his hand up to rest on Trowa's waist, tugging at the loose fold of his shirt with his fingers, then nips lightly at Trowa's earlobe before softly saying, "I think perhaps we are all a bit over dressed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) according to my research, this is a possible situation that would allow Meilan, a girl, to be clan heir and still preserve the usual customs of marriage as observed in traditional Chinese society. The term for Wufei's position is given as 'zhui xu' - literally, "unnecessary husband" or "superfluous son-in-law". The society as a whole was very strongly patriarchal and patrilineal, to the point that women were not even always given their own names, instead being referred to as their father's daughter, husband's wife, or son's mother. References are available on request.
> 
> (2) Trowa says, "ca va, mon ami, ca va"; (literally 'it goes') "it's alright, my friend, it's alright" in French.


	9. Saturday morning, again : A Demonstration or Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

A little shiver runs through Trowa at Wufei's softly-spoken words, and he pulls away from Duo's mouth just long enough to say, "Yes," before returning to his self-appointed task of drawing interesting noises from the braided man. He shifts his own hands down to tug experimentally at the bottom of Duo's shirt; at the same time, Wufei finishes pulling Trowa's free of his jeans. Duo gasps into their kiss as Trowa's hands make contact with his skin, carefully lifting his shirt off. Wufei pauses, thumbs running small caresses along Trowa's ribs as he waits for Duo's shirt to be removed, then finishes the process of rendering them all shirtless. With Trowa's shirt off, Wufei runs his fingers gently around Trowa's waist - first over top of the waistband, then back along the top edge, and finally dipping his fingers just under the edge of the fabric, slipping one hand out to fiddle with the button.

The sound of Trowa's zipper registers on Duo's ears, because he pulls back from their kiss then and begins to kiss his way down Trowa's throat, and down to lick lightly at the small hollow between Trowa's collarbones. He backs off enough to blow gently on the damp spot, causing a shiver and a small gasping moan. Wufei's voice is in Trowa's ear again, that husky tone still present as he informs him that, "Duo told me, earlier, that he wants to taste you. Would that be alright with you?" The request is almost a purr, and Wufei's hand, stroking lightly at the gap left by the opened zipper leaves little doubt as to just what Duo has in mind.  
  
Trowa's nod is a short jerk, punctuated by another little shiver, and it is followed almost immediately by a soft moan as Wufei slips both hands into the jeans and begins to peel them off. When the jeans rest at Trowa's knees, Wufei's hands trail back up his thighs to slip under the waistband of his briefs, pushing them down to join the jeans. Meantime, Duo has continued his downward motion, kissing, licking, and sucking a line down Trowa's sternum only to stop at the bottom, and lick in a single swooping line to the slight hollow under his left collarbone and work straight down from there.  
  
The first kiss that brushes against the nipple gains Duo a gasp and a shiver, and he pauses then, moving strong hands up Trowa's arms and around behind his shoulders to tilt him to the side. Wufei's hands on his hips also lift and turn, gently easing him down to sit on the floor before returning to the task of removing his remaining clothing. Trowa, on his way down, grabs Duo's head with one hand, pulling the braided man's face in close enough to kiss. When he pulls back, he looks up into the kneeling man's eyes and tells him, "Feels so good, Duo; don't stop, just do... whatever you think..." Trowa's voice is breathy with desire and soft, but very clear as he meets Duo's searching gaze for a moment before loosening his grip and letting Duo return to his previous task.  
  
And he does, kissing more quickly down Trowa's chest to stop at his nipple, pausing to lick, then blow lightly on it, before taking it between his lips and sucking gently on the now very hard little nub. He flicks his tongue across it lightly before backing off to blow lightly, the wash of cooler air bringing a muffled groan from Trowa's lips. Duo isn't so subtle about his treatment of the other nipple, sucking it immediately into his mouth, and then biting down gently on it. Trowa arches into the touch, muscles tightening as he does so, and his groan is louder this time. His hands come up, as if to hold Duo's head in place, but then he seems to think better of it, letting them fall to Duo's shoulders instead.  
  
Wufei notes the abortive movement as he returns from dropping clothes on the couch, and guessing at its meaning, takes one of Trowa's hands in his own and places it so that it gently cups Duo's head, saying, "It is not a bad thing to let him know you want more of something, verbally or otherwise," before skimming his own hands down Duo's back, rubbing lightly, until he reaches his pants. He runs his fingers around at the waist, popping the button and tugging the zipper down, encountering some resistance because of Duo's bent-over position. "If I could borrow Duo for a moment, Triton?" Wufei asks, passing one palm under Duo's chest and gently pulling at him to cause him to straighten up enough to get the stubborn zipper undone. Duo reluctantly releases the nipple he's been working with teeth and tongue, blowing on it as he straightens up.  
  
Wufei is quick to get Duo's pants down off his hips. As soon as the clothing is clear, Duo bends back towards Trowa's chest with a wicked smile on his lips, and purrs, "Why don't you lean back a little for me, Tro? Give me a little more room to work? Oh!" Looking down, Trowa glimpses Wufei's hands stroking down Duo's thighs, framing his swelling arousal. Trowa leans back on his elbows, and Duo, following him down, plants his hands firmly on the ground beside Trowa's hips, as he bends his head and trails licks and kisses down Trowa's ribs, down well-defined abs, down, down...  
  
Trowa watches, fascinated, as Duo progresses down his body, breathing made somewhat erratic by the occasional gasps and moans, as he practically hums his appreciation of the sensation - so soft, so gentle. Duo stops to pay homage to a faded scar just across Trowa's hipbone before moving down further, nipping gently, down to the crease where thigh meets hip, licking just a little harder to avoid tickling the sensitive area. He stops, then, to look up into Trowa's face, and locks eyes with him as he oh, so slowly leans his cheek over to brush gently against Trowa's erection, which jumps and twitches at the contact, and nuzzles against it briefly. Then Duo turns his face to bury his nose in the other man's dark curls and inhales deeply, sighing happily.  
  
"It sounds as if he is enjoying himself there, no?" is Wufei's soft question from behind Trowa's ear. Trowa starts a little; he'd been so busy watching Duo that he hadn't noticed Wufei moving around behind him. He turns to look at his questioner, who is kneeling right by his head and now quite naked as well. Trowa rakes his eyes appreciatively over the expanse of golden skin and tight muscles so conveniently displayed, nearly missing Wufei's question, "...to let him continue?"  
  
"Wha?... Oh, yes... feels so good..." Trowa's voice has taken on a husky tone of its own, that sends a little shiver through both other men. It was lovely before, but now it has taken on an erotic quality that is very far from unpleasant. Wufei leans forwards, then, to put something unseen in Duo's outstretched hand before he puts his own hands on Trowa's shoulders, shifting so that he is directly behind him, the auburn head resting against his chest, and Trowa's long body resting against his front and thighs. "Lean back on me, then, my brother; I am here with you," he murmurs then, voice soft and reassuring, as his hands come up to stroke gently up Trowa's sides and across his chest. The soft touch leaves trails of fire across Trowa's skin even as Duo turns his head once more and flicks his tongue out experimentally to taste the throbbing hardness before him.  
  
Trowa moans, then, and drops his head back against Wufei's shoulder. Held safely in the warm embrace, he is free to drop his guard, close his eyes and surrender to the sensations being given him by his two friends, now lovers? He isn't sure the term really applies, but... thinking becomes difficult as Duo's tongue begins working it's way up his erection, then around, and down, leaving a fine layer of gradually cooling wetness over the whole surface before he pulls back to blow gently.  
  
Finally, Duo relents. There is a brief pause, half a suckle at the very tip, and then with one last circling of his tongue around the head, he begins to take Trowa's erection into his mouth. He moves slowly, keeping the contact close and warm and slow, as if to approximate another sort of entry entirely, and steadily takes in Trowa's entire length in that one first agonizingly slow movement. Only then does he stop, and that only for a moment, before beginning to move his head in a steady, slow, perfect rhythm over nearly the entire length, using his arms to help with the movement. Trowa's head lolls back on Wufei's shoulder, and his knees lift without conscious thought to tilt his hips further into the impossible pleasure that is being given to him, like some most precious jewel on a gold-chased platter. He had never imagined it could be like _this_...  
  
Then something changes - Duo's mouth is a little faster, or perhaps a little looser, or perhaps it's just that the angle is different; Trowa can't tell, only that it is impossibly even better. His fingers twist in Duo's hair, clutch at his shoulder, seeking... something. Then the storm that has been building coalesces into a single point somewhere deep inside and then... and then... stars explode behind his eyelids and in that deepest part of his belly, and something that has been wrapped around his heart cracks, unnoticed in the whiteness of his orgasm, and he screams wordless joy as his body convulses with it.  
  
When Trowa comes back from the timeless place where the stars dance, he is lying down on one side, held close and safe between two warm bodies, legs thoroughly entwined in theirs. He blinks his eyes slowly open, trying to separate the face before his eyes from the honey-soft voice murmuring sweet nonsense in his ear. The voice belongs to Wufei, he realizes, as the face belongs to Duo. "Hey there, stranger. Are you back with us yet?" Duo's voice is warm and slightly concerned, but there is the faintest hint of smug self-satisfaction behind that, as if he were immensely pleased with himself. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Hmmm..." Trowa smiles and stretches languorously, wriggling contentedly in the firm warmth of Wufei's embrace and drawing Duo in close against his chest to kiss him thoroughly. It takes him a moment to process through the reason why Duo tastes different now. //Something plastic? No, wait... latex. But... when did he...? Never mind, doesn't matter when, just that he did as they said they would...// He releases Duo's lips with a small happy sigh, and then hugs him tight for just a second before letting go to say, "Mmm; good, like... like a cat in a sunbeam, all warm and boneless."  
  
"Good," is Wufei's opinion from behind him. "Are you ready for more now, or would you like to wait a bit longer?"  
  
"Don't want to move just yet. This is comfy here and... oh! Duo, I'm sorry..."  
  
"No, don't be, Tro," Duo cuts him off. "For starters, we're nowhere near done yet, and for another thing, we said, right? Besides, I don't think there's much point in having you learn _that_ trick, hmm?"  
  
Wufei props himself up on an elbow and slides the other hand down between their bodies until he encounters the topic of the conversation, wrapping his hand around Duo's smooth, hard flesh and stroking lightly. "Perhaps not, but I'm sure he is already familiar with this one..." Duo whimpers softly at the contact, then drops onto his back and plants his outside foot squarely on the floor, arching into Wufei's strong, knowing touch. When Trowa's hand joins Wufei's a few strokes later, a pleased moan escapes his lips, and he lets his eyes flutter closed, content to simply enjoy the ride to his release at their hands.  
  
A short while later, Duo remarks, in a conversational tone, "Eeeuch... messy."  
  
"Well, quit squirming, then... excuse me, Triton..." Wufei levers himself up to grab the towel and the lube from the side table. He tosses the former at Duo's head, although it is caught before it lands and applied to his chest and belly instead. Wufei seats himself by Trowa, holding the lubricant in one hand, and asks him, "So... now?"  
  
"Wha?" is the startled response. Then, as the question parses, his confused expression brightens, and he asks, "What do I need to do?"  
  
"Hmph," is the amused reply. "Lie back, relax, enjoy the ride?" Wufei notes the flicker of apprehension that disappears almost immediately as Trowa rolls obediently onto his back, knees slightly spread. He doesn't say anything directly about it; instead, he merely begins explaining that, "The sphincter is easily capable of accommodating the required diameter - and in fact generally does so on a regular basis - but it must be suitably relaxed to do so, and few people are capable of consciously doing that. Hence," he pauses to squeeze some of the lube out and rubs it lightly between his fingers to warm it some more, "a bit of preparation is generally in order. That is why, contrary to what was said earlier, you are currently flat on your back." Wufei flashes a bright smile at Trowa as he continues, "It is usually easier to relax when you are not worrying about keeping your balance, after all. We will be changing positions soon enough."  
  
Trowa blinks at the sparkle of humour in Wufei's voice, then nods and relaxes fractionally; he relaxes still more when Duo appears again with a cushion for his head and drops himself, cross-legged, right beside his shoulder, taking one hand in his, and feathering his other hand through Trowa's hair. "I'm right here with you, Tro, right beside you; not gonna let you fall. Just think of me as your frilly parasol, 'kay?" Trowa blinks hugely, then laughs softly at the bizarre image that phrase conjures in his mind. He squeezes Duo's hand back, then, and nods to Wufei to proceed.  
  
"One other thing to note," Wufei continues his lecture then, "is that there are a large number of nerve endings in this area. Knees up, please?" He pauses while Trowa makes the requested change in position, then shifts himself between them, laying a hand on one of Trowa's knees and very gently stroking down his thigh towards his hip, then back up, down, up, down, up. The motion is vaguely hypnotic, partially soothing and oddly enough, partially arousing as well, as the pressure being applied is slowly lessened until the touch barely avoids being ticklish. "If it hurts, it really hurts, but when it feels _good_ ," Wufei says, as he trails the back of his other hand down the other thigh, then down onto that part of Trowa's ass that is revealed by the position he is in, "it _really_ feels good..." One finger runs down the last bit of Trowa's inner thigh, down around past the base of his sac, and down some more, brushing lightly down to the pucker of his anus and pausing there to circle slowly, then across and back up again.  
  
Trowa nearly jumps at the light touch, then gasps as the sensation registers. Wufei, his eyes locked onto Trowa's face, repeats the slow circling movement, using the slightest bit more pressure this time. "Nice, huh?" Duo asks, smiling down into the surprise in Trowa's wide eyes. Trowa swallows, then nods. "See? 'Fei knows what he's doing..."  
  
"Yes, and 'Fei wants you to keep at least _one_ eye on what I am doing here, too, Duo," Wufei adds, "since you did say you wanted to see what it is." Duo nods, and shifts slightly so that he can see, yet staying well in focal range for Trowa.  
  
Wufei's single finger, now well-coated in the lubricant, moves back, circling slickly and pressing lightly, then begins to move in a gentle rocking motion, pressing and then retreating upwards towards the underside of Trowa's balls. Only when Trowa shifts his hips towards the motion does Wufei give him more, letting just the tip of that finger slip inside at the bottom of its arc before retreating again.  
  
Now, Wufei begins leading again, pressing a little deeper each time until he is sinking the second knuckle with every stroke. "So far so good?" Trowa nods. "Ready for a little more now?" Trowa manages to look eager, concerned, and confused at the same time, so Wufei explains, "Not _that_ much more - another finger first, and maybe one or two more -I'm in no hurry." Trowa nods, then, letting his head tip back again, and Wufei carefully squeezes on more lube before a second finger joins the first in its stroking. Trowa gasps a little at the increase, but it sounds much more like pleasure than anything. When Duo squeezes his hand, Trowa smiles back, and reaches up to grab for his head, pulling him down to kiss somewhat breathlessly.  
  
Now, Wufei is making each stroke deeper again, and as he does, he is speaking again. "Of course, there _are_ a few benefits to being male for this particular activity, like..." he trails off, then suddenly Trowa's eyes pop open in surprise. "Like that," Wufei finishes, smirking.  
  
"Oooh... more?" Trowa pleads, writhing a little under the continued assault of talented fingers. "Gods, what is that?"  
  
"Prostate gland," Wufei supplies, stroking over it again as if to make a point. He looks over at Duo before continuing, "Small bump on the belly-ward side, fairly obvious if you are looking for it. This is about the point where you lose it, right?" Duo nods. "Ahaa, that would be why, then..." Wufei backs his fingers off from that spot then, and waits until Trowa's eyes regain focus before speaking to him. "Note that unless there is something she has not been telling us, Dorothy does _not_ possess one of those - in case you were of a mind to try this with her at some point. You cannot cheat on the relaxation process there..." He waits for Trowa to process this and then nod before he continues, "And I do not intend to cheat here either. Ready for three?"  
  
When Trowa nods again, Wufei adds a third finger, using both hands briefly so as to start this new step up with an even diameter; after a few careful strokes, however, all seems to be going well, and he switches to back to a one-handed approach. The resulting slight wedge causes no apparent discomfort, and Wufei begins to exploit the effect, holding his fingers further apart as he continues, increasing the diameter. Finally, when he can easily sink all three spread fingers to the hilt with only a pleased moan for commentary, he judges his preparations complete, and withdraws his hand, wiping it before handing the tube of gel to Trowa and shifting to lie down beside him, propped on an elbow to look into his face.  
  
"And this is where you take over," Wufei smiles, running one hand down Trowa's side to rest on his hip. "Believe it or not, that last bit was nearly as big as me, measuring around. Now - you need to put some of this," he points to the tube, "on me, and then..."  
  
Duo releases Trowa's hand, and skitters back just far enough to leave room for Trowa to turn and move, then gives him a hand sitting up, before shifting himself to a place closer to Wufei's knees and lifting a small packet to his teeth. Trowa, considering, squeezes out some of the lube. "More," Wufei says from where he is lying, even though his angle is such that he can't possibly see how much Trowa has. Trowa looks sharply in his direction, question cut off as Wufei continues, "You need at least twice as much as you think should do it, and keep the tube handy..." Unnoticed, Duo has slipped a finger in to swipe a bit from Trowa's hand, then leant forwards to perform his own version of anointing, which causes Wufei's last word to trail off in a hiss as he fights to regain control of himself.  
  
Trowa nods, then triples the amount in his palm before handing the tube back to Duo to hold. Then he reaches forwards to liberally anoint Wufei's rock-hard erection, already well covered in latex, and smiling a little at the low growl and unconscious hip-thrust the action produces. "Good enough, Triton. Now, how about you get that sexy ass of yours up here, hmm?" Trowa flushes slightly at the compliment, but is already moving to straddle Wufei's hips even as Wufei reaches for his, steadying him, lifting, settling him into place. Duo's hands come up around Trowa's ribs, holding him securely as well.  
  
"Now, guide me..." comes one last instruction, but it proves to be somewhat redundant as Trowa has already reached behind himself to take Wufei's erection in one hand, bracing himself against one bronze shoulder with the other. Wufei chuckles lightly, "Eager, are we?" Placing the tip in position, Trowa holds it steady as he lowers himself. His eyelids fall shut and his mouth opens in a soft moan of pleasure as he slowly sinks down around Wufei until he can't go any further.  
  
There is no movement at all for a second, and another, and then Trowa inhales sharply and his eyes snap open, a breathtaking smile lighting his features. Wufei makes the tiniest possible movement, his hands on Trowa's hips urging him upwards, and Trowa, taking the cue for what it is, raises up, then lowers again, riding Wufei slowly, savouring every second of the wonderful smooth slide of flesh against flesh. Then Duo's voice in his ear and hands around him urge him further upright, and this time when he descends, Wufei's full length brushes against his prostate and a strangled cry of pleasure breaks free. The next cry is louder - until Duo's mouth finds his, stealing his voice and his breath, along with what little remains of his sanity, and making a play for his tongue as well.  
  
It is all too much for Wufei - the long wait, the perfect tight heat, the two beautiful men kissing before his eyes - and he bucks, hips slamming upward, one reaching hand finding Duo's already wrapped around Trowa's erection. He drops his head back, then, losing all control and roaring his completion as he thrusts upwards, hands forming fists beside Trowa's hips, even now taking care to do no harm. These last few strokes send Trowa over the edge as well, his own cries caught by Duo's kisses as he comes in long streams across his own chest and Wufei's. Finally, he sags limply in Duo's arms. Three - no, four hands lift him, then, and he is laid down beside Wufei, who rolls over to take over kissing him. Duo lies down behind him, after first snagging the towel and a loose blanket to pull over the three of them.


	10. Saturday afternoon : Cooking With Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Duo wastes no time in cleaning up Wufei and Trowa, and his own arm where he got caught with some of the splatter. The towel is then tossed off to the side, and he lies down to cuddle behind Trowa, tugging the blanket over all three bodies, and reaching right over to lay his hand on Wufei's hip, stroking the smooth golden skin there softly before giving a gentle squeeze, and pulling all three bodies just a little closer together.

Five minutes later, two of the three are fast asleep, and Duo, not being quite as exhausted, slips carefully out from behind Trowa, taking care to tuck the blanket down securely so that he will not be chilled. He smiles softly when Wufei rolls back somewhat, and Trowa tucks his head into the hollow between Wufei's neck and shoulder. He bends closer to runs his fingers through Trowa's sweat-dampened hair and drop a kiss on Wufei's cheek before standing, stretching extravagantly, and then taking a look around the room.  
  
"Oi, this place could use some help..." Duo takes a moment to search out the tube of lubricant and its cap first, and apply one to the other before setting it aside on the table. Next, the used towels are carted off to the laundry basket and a fresh supply is pulled from the drawer and placed on the table. The small amount of trash is tossed in the appropriate receptacle. The clothes piled haphazardly on the couch are shaken out and folded neatly over the back, except his own jeans, which he slips into before heading into the kitchen.  
  
Once there, Duo pours himself the last cup of coffee, turning off the element, adds milk to his cup, then leans back against the counter and sips gently while contemplating the morning. Yes, he thinks, so far things are going very well. They will have to double-check with Trowa, but it didn't look like he was feeling any pain from that last round. And that really only leaves one thing to show him...  
  
Duo smiles then, puts his cup down on the counter, and begins pulling things out from their places - a large pot, wooden spoon, knives, peeler, an onion, the tin of flour, a couple of potatoes and carrots, the last end of the roast, a bit of broth, some leftover vegetables and things. A brief consideration of the ingredients available, and Duo decides to forego the garlic, but he fishes out a stalk of celery and, while he's there, snags a tomato as well.  
  
In a minute's time, the sound of the peeler has been replaced by that of an onion jumping in the pot to brown with the flour, and the staccato pattering of the knife against the chopping board, occasionally interrupted by a sort of tuneless whistling and the scrape of the spoon against the metal. Then there is the distinct hiss of cold liquid hitting hot metal, followed shortly by the tap of wood on metal, and a quickly-muffled clang as the lid is put into place. More chopping, then, and then the odd scraping noises that signify ingredients being scooped into a large bowl to be added later.  
  
Satisfied that everything is progressing well, Duo checks the heat once more before picking up a book and sitting down at the table to wait. He checks the soup periodically, adding things once it's warm enough and stirring well, and occasionally stops to watch the two sleeping in the living room. After perhaps an hour, he is startled to hear his name called, and he calls back, "Yes?" The speaker, however, seems not to notice, and he pops up to see Wufei, still half asleep, pushing ineffectively at Trowa's shoulder.  
  
"Duo, get up off my arm. Come on, sweetling... Duo?" There is a slightly panicked tone to the last word, as Wufei, who had been reaching for a braid to tug, abruptly sits bolt upright, dislodging a now awake and somewhat confused Trowa in the process.  
  
"What the..."  
  
Duo can't help but laugh at the expressions on both faces as he drops his book on the counter and comes around to give Wufei a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek, before turning to Trowa and giving him the same. "Sorry, you guys looked like you needed the nap so I let you sleep. Don't worry, 'Fei, I didn't cut it while you were sleeping." His eyes twinkle as he feels Wufei's hand on his back. "Now that you're both awake, there's lunch ready if you like, and I'll go put the kettle on for some tea while you two get up..." He bounces to his feet and pads back into the kitchen.  
  
Five minutes later, just as the kettle is beginning to whistle, Trowa comes stumbling, half-dressed, into the kitchen. He is followed a few minutes later by Wufei, also half-dressed, and they both take their seats. Duo pours the water into the teapot, brings the bread and spoons to the table, and takes his own seat. "Eat, already!" he urges, and digs in himself.  
  
Trowa exchanges a glance with Wufei, then looks pointedly at the soup, and back up again. Wufei laughs. "Nothing like Catharine's, I assure you. I am not sure quite what it *is* like today, but it is certain to be edible." Duo raises an eyebrow at this, his expression demanding answers later. Trowa nods and picks up his spoon, still seeming somewhat wary, and takes a tentative taste. His smile is nearly deafening as he rolls the flavour over his tongue. He takes a much more substantial spoonful and reaches for a roll, settling in to enjoy his meal.  
  
Wufei, across the table, is looking faintly puzzled, evidently trying to figure out what something in the soup is by the taste and having no luck. Finally he gives it up as a lost cause and asks, instead. "Alright, Duo, what is it today?"  
  
Duo is rather evasive as he rises to bring the teapot. "Just leftovers and stuff, mostly, 'Fei. Tea, Tro?" He pours for all three and sits down again. "It's good, right?"  
  
"It is. I'm just curious how you managed to put leftover spaetzle and chop suey in the same dish and come up with something edible, let alone something that makes *that* one ask for more," Wufei says, waving towards Trowa, who is holding up his empty bowl and looking hopefully at Duo. "It always surprises me how you *do* that. Anyone else would come up with slop. No, correction; Yui would probably manage a very good approximation of machine oil..." Duo nearly snorts his tea up his nose at that thought, chuckles helplessly for a moment, then grabs his and Trowa's bowls to refill them.  
  
"It's all in the wrist?" Duo offers, as he puts the filled bowls down on the table. He grabs Wufei's offered bowl while he's still standing, refilling it and taking the opportunity while setting it back down to lean over and give his lover a kiss. He swivels neatly back into his chair then, and all further conversation is put on hold until lunch is finished.  
  
It is not until the bowls are stacked for washing, the remains of the soup stashed away in the fridge, and another pot of tea has been made that conversation resumes. "So. How are you feeling, Triton? After this morning's activities?" Wufei passes him a filled teacup along with the question.  
  
"Thank you. Very well. It's a good thing OZ is no longer a concern, though - I'm still having a little trouble believing how much I *wanted* that by the time you were done with me." Trowa flushes a little, and blows on his tea.  
  
"Not sore, no regrets?" Duo's concern is clear, but he seems to be double-checking rather than doing primary research.  
  
"No, not sore, just, wow... You were right, Duo, it's... there isn't enough room in my chest for the words for it." Trowa pauses for a moment. "And Wufei, thank you. And not just for that," he says, waving one hand vaguely towards the living room, "but for talking me through it. I think that really helped, knowing what was coming next, you know, even when it was a little strange feeling. Made it easy to leave the fear and worry, and just relax. Just how much of it is in the atmosphere and attitude is starting to become pretty clear."  
  
Wufei nods. "Exactly so. It really does not tend to work well unless everyone involved is relaxed and wants to be there. When you are afraid, or unwilling, or lack confidence, your body gains tension in precisely the places where it should not be. I am relieved to find that, as quickly as we are moving, you are able to handle it."  
  
"Yeah, this is kinda turning into a crash course, isn't it? You know, if either one of us hears you went even half this fast with your lady, we'll have to come hurt you, right?" Duo's tone is light, but there's a deadly serious glint in his eyes.  
  
"*Eeep*" Trowa takes the warning for what it is - a reminder to take the time to do it right - and nods.  
  
"Besides," Wufei pitches in, "there is a great deal of enjoyment to be found in a slow exploration, and each person has favourite spots and touches that can only be found that way. We have skipped a lot of that with you here - it is for her to find."  
  
"Not to knock what you're doing, but I'm kinda glad for that, Wufei. I have to concentrate on what I'm feeling, on the moment -it helps that you're not expecting more back while I'm doing that. Gotta say it feels pretty strange to be the centre of this much attention, though. I mean, it's not the same as performing at all..."  
  
"And this is a bad thing, because...?" Duo asks.  
  
"Ha! Not a bad thing at all, Duo, not a bad thing at all," Trowa replies, smiling.  
  
"Good, then. Now, I believe we have some, ah, academic work to do, Triton. Shall we retire to the living room for that?" Wufei puts his teacup down and pushes his chair back.  
  
"Oh, sure, go play school and leave me with the dishes," Duo laughs, before shooing them both out of the kitchen.  
  
Out in the living room, Wufei sits down before the table, pulling over his sketch pad and pencils, and motions Trowa to a seat beside him. They are soon engrossed in an overview of comparative anatomy and Duo, wisely, leaves them to it. Once the dishes have been washed, rinsed, dried, and put away, Duo wanders out into the living room to check on their progress.  
  
Wufei is speaking again, saying, "...sanitary reason; you would want to wash immediately afterwards, if you plan on doing anything else, and certainly..." Duo shakes his head, moves back out of hearing range, and fetches the glass cleaner. This could take a while.  
  
A little while later, as he makes a circuit about the living room, the topic has shifted to "...a little lubricant in the tip gives you a little better slide, but be careful not to use too much or..." and a few minutes later, "...varies by the person, but also by hormonal swings, so it is not a sufficient indicator, and that... whoops!" Wufei, who had been waving the lubricant around for emphasis, abruptly loses his grip on it, and Duo is nearly hit by the flying tube.  
  
"Oi! Careful where you throw that, Dragon..." He bends down to look for it.  
  
"Most sorry, _xin ai_(1); lost my grip. We must have gotten some on the outside. Here..." Wufei hands Duo a towel from the stack on the table.  
  
"Ah, yeah. Here." Duo picks up the unintended missile, wipes it off, and drops it and the towel back on the table and a kiss on Wufei's cheek, before he returns to his work. "Oh, and Dragon-baby? You're doing the dusting next week, right?"  
  
"Yes, dear..."  
  
Duo bats playfully at Wufei's arm. Wufei turns, and grins wolfishly at Duo, who leers back, and then Wufei returns to his lecture. Trowa, meanwhile, just watches the interplay, somewhat bemused by the easy interaction between the partners.  
  
"Now, where were we? Ah, yes..." Duo replaces the glass cleaner and goes in search of a dust cloth.  
  
As Duo is finishing the dusting, he overhears Wufei's "...therefore not a reliable marker of virginity. Now, stretching can be of some help here as well..." Trowa is nodding, and evidently asks something too soft to be overheard, to which Wufei replies, "Does it matter so much? You are the one who wished to avoid causing pain..." Duo wisely retreats to the kitchen to find his book, and remains there until the two call him out again.  
  
He doesn't have time to get too far into his reading, however, before Wufei calls to him that they are nearly done, and will be ready for him again shortly.  
  
"Ah, hah, the suitable recovery time has elapsed, now? I'll be right with you then," Duo replies.  
  
And so it is that, five minutes later, all three are in the main room again, papers and pencils set aside, and Wufei has taken Trowa's face between his hands to draw him in for a deep, stirring kiss. Duo, just coming in, is treated to the sight of his beloved's passion in all its glory. He swallows, hard, then moves in to kneel behind Trowa, running his hands lightly over bare sides, down over hard, denim-clad thighs, back up over the tight ass, and around to stroke over the pockets, teasing, wordlessly begging permission. Even as his hands move, Duo's mouth comes down to kiss, then close over, the juncture of Trowa's neck and shoulder, then suckle at the spot lightly, a familiar hunger building in the pit of his stomach and a tiny growl escaping him.  
  
A bronzed arm frees itself from Trowa's hip to reach for Duo's waist, and tugs him sideways by one belt loop, until he is nearly beside Trowa rather than tucked firmly behind him. Then Duo is being pulled forward to kiss Wufei, even as Trowa is carefully slipping out from between the two just enough to be the one nestled firmly behind the man in the middle. Now it is Trowa's turn to run questing hands over Duo's skin, down to slip into his pockets and move in short, suggestive strokes against his lower belly, even as Trowa's own hips are pressed against Duo's ass, his arousal rubbing against one firm buttock, and he leans his head in close to whisper in Duo's ear, "You wanted something?" A short, hard rock of hips against ass and stroke of fingers against Duo's own swelling erection leave no doubt what Trowa means when he continues, "I think I've got something for you..." and then Trowa moves in to nip at the earlobe so close to his own mouth, sucking at it, and stroking it with his tongue.  
  
Duo moans into Wufei's kiss, revelling in the feeling of being desired, of being desirable, of being... adored in this way. It is all he can do, in the rush of sensations, to brace his hands on Wufei's shoulders and return the kiss, pouring all his desire into it. Wufei's hands run secret patterns across his chest, flicking lightly across nipples, running along his collar bones, seeking out all the places that send jolts of pleasure through his body. Trowa's hands have moved, working his zipper open and the jeans down to his knees, before coming back to once again stroke promises over the soft skin of his hipbones. And then they are gone, for a moment - long enough to deal with Trowa's own jeans, Duo assumes in one small rational corner of his mind - before they are back, and Trowa's own bare flesh is pressed firmly against his backside. Trowa wriggles a little, then murmurs into the ear he has been assaulting, "If you want it?"  
  
Duo breaks the kiss he's in long enough to speak. "You have to ask, Tro? God, yes..." and then he moans again, as Wufei's lips descend on his throat and begin to trail down towards his chest, and then still lower. Trowa chuckles then, and Duo nearly melts under the sound of the desire in that small laugh. Those long-fingered hands, even paler than his own, skim down the fronts of Duo's thighs then, and slide the jeans off over his knees and feet, and then they are back again, teasing strokes that never quite reach Duo's erection, and the grind of Trowa's hips reminds him quite firmly of the one nestled against his rear. "Don't tease me, Tro... please?"  
  
Wufei laughs, then, softly amused. "You see, Triton? I told you he wanted you... shall we give him what he wants?" He presses a quick, hard, and deep kiss to Duo's lips before backing up enough to grab the lubricant and hand it to Trowa, along with a condom, and an admonition to "Prep him first, the way we discussed." Trowa nods, then puts a hand on Duo's back to encourage him onto all fours, before opening the tube. Wufei, meanwhile, moves to kneel so that his head is next to Duo's, and he begins to whisper something softly into his ear that causes a visible shiver to run through Duo's body, and then another, and another.  
  
Trowa is rewarded with a small, choked cry of delight when he first slides two slick fingers down Duo's tailbone, then slips them with gentle pressure into his ass. There is no resistance as he works them in and out a few times, just an answering thrust back, and Trowa adds another finger on the next thrust, getting another moan in response. There is a little resistance when he adds the fourth finger - Wufei's advice that he do so clear in his head - and he works them in and out a few times until he feels it dissipate with another moan. Then, teasing a little, he thrusts a few more times before withdrawing his hand, and reaching for the small foil packet he'd been handed.  
  
Duo is practically whining in frustrated desire by the time Trowa's hands return to his hips, carefully holding him still with one hand, and then using the other to guide his erection into place. There is a pause, then, and Duo can feel Wufei's head nodding beside his, and then Trowa begins to push his way slowly, smoothly inside. Duo exhales, an "Oh!" of surprise and then another of pleased delight escaping him. When Trowa's hips finally meet his, he pushes back firmly, seeking that last bit of depth he is used to and incidentally halting any further motion for a moment as they remain locked into that position.  
  
Then Duo shifts forwards again, freeing Trowa to move as well. And move he does, a few short, slow thrusts at first, then gradually lengthening his stroke but still keeping to the same slow pace. Duo moans and gasps and writhes under Trowa's hands, seeking more - more depth, more speed, more contact. Then Wufei is back beside him, and that small rational corner of Duo's mind pauses to wonder when he'd left, but then Wufei is kissing him, and then flipping onto his back, sliding down between Duo's spread arms to kiss down his throat and chest. A quick upwards glance tells Duo that Wufei is now naked and needing, too. Wufei continues his slow, seductive squirm down Duo's body, and Duo dips his head to lick a trail of fire down his Dragon's flesh, having to stop and gasp for breath each time Trowa thrusts into him, but coming back each time, torn between moving forwards to take in his lover, or rocking back onto the hard thickness behind him.  
  
A light touch between his shoulders, and Duo lets himself drop onto his elbows, hands reaching to cradle golden hips even as he moves his legs apart to accommodate bronzed shoulders and milk-white knees. Two sets of hands touch him, hold him, anchor him. One set of hands - //Tro's// - holds him solidly in place by waist and hips, keeping him from moving forwards towards the prize still just beyond his reach. The other set - //'Fei's// - is stroking up the back and insides of his thighs and pulling him downwards, opening him further to the rhythmic strokes and letting them sink deeper, touching new places inside him. Warm breath teases his twitching member, even as he knows Wufei can feel his own breath teasing in return. Finally, Wufei's hips come to a stop beneath Duo's chin, and then - oh, then...  
  
Just as Duo begins to wrap hungry lips around the hard flesh so temptingly offered him, just as Wufei opens his mouth and takes in Duo's erection, surrounding him in warm heat - just then, Trowa thrusts again, rocking him forwards onto Wufei, into Wufei... The sensation of being filled, surrounded, completely submerged and immersed in his beloved drives the last coherent thought from his mind, and only the belonging remains.  
  
Then even that is spiralling inwards as the three move to the rhythm Trowa sets, like starstuff being drawn into a black hole. Finally the pleasure winds tight and hard in Duo's belly, holding there for an instant before exploding into a new light, even as his throat works automatically to swallow what he has been given, and he dimly registers Trowa's body bending forwards over his back and teeth on his shoulder and last few hard spasming thrusts into his body.  
  
It must be Wufei who twists over to tip the other two off to one side, because Duo is certainly not aware enough to do so, although Trowa is able to catch his own fall and cushion Duo's. Wufei sits up just long enough to turn around, and then he is sliding down along Duo's body to kiss his beloved softly, and murmur his thanks to Trowa, and snuggle in close, and reach his arm over Duo to rest, fingers stroking lightly, on Trowa's hip. After a moment, Trowa unwraps his arm from where it is pressed between Duo's chest and Wufei's to reach around and rest it lightly on Wufei's shoulder blade, pulling and releasing in what would have been a soft hug if not for Duo's intervening body. Duo himself merely squirms a little closer to the warmth surrounding him and breathes contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) _xin ai_ - beloved in Chinese


	11. Saturday afternoon and evening : Dinner with Dorothy: Reprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Lying tangled up on the floor between two strong warm bodies is very close to heaven, Duo decides, except for one thing. Whatever that one thing is, it's starting to hurt where it's digging into his arm. A soft warm laugh in Wufei's beautiful honeyed tenor catches his attention, and Duo realizes he must have missed part of the conversation because Wufei's next words, "Did I not tell you so?" are obviously a response to something.

"Tell him what, D-baby?" Duo asks, voice still a little hoarse from sleep and... other things, as the taste there finally registers, recalling the events just preceding his apparent nap.  
  
"Awake, now, little tiger? Did you enjoy that?" Wufei's voice is calm, sure, and asking only because he knows Trowa needs to hear the words, but Duo nods anyway.  
  
"Mm, hmm... that was... indescribable... and very, very good," Duo concludes, then he pouts just a little. "Why can't we keep him, W'fei?"  
  
Wufei raises an eyebrow, then grins. "Because you do not wish to become spoiled by too much attention, Brightness, and because he has already been claimed. Here," he offers, then moves in to kiss Duo, who sighs happily into the kiss, then moans as it deepens, and is left panting when Wufei backs away again. "Happier now?"  
  
"Mmm, much..." Duo stretches a little, then winces as the movement brings him back into contact with whatever that sharp thing is. "Ouch." He fumbles with his free hand, finally emerging with the offending object - a small bent bit of plasticized foil. He stares at it for a moment, then abruptly registers what it came from, and smiles, before tossing it off _that_ way with a muttered "Go 'way".  
  
Then he is being gently turned over, to face Trowa, who takes a while to search his face before asking, "Keep me? really?"  
  
Duo nods, "Really, Tro - that was incredible. If you weren't already spoken for... You, m'dear, have nothing to worry about, okay? You do like that, you'll be just fine. You feel... really good. Hah - listen to me, out of words for the occasion. Dorothy's a lucky girl to have you - and going to be luckier, I think - whenever you get to that, that is. Is anybody else getting hungry or is it just me?"  
  
Trowa laughs, and then kisses him lightly. "I think I will be soon enough."  
  
"Hah, good. You could use more feeding," Wufei chuckles as well, then rolls back to sit up and glance towards the clock in the kitchen. "Although it is a bit early yet for dinner. Still -perhaps your lady is done with her work, and can join us for the meal? Somewhere other than here." He looks around the room, then nods. "Definitely, somewhere other than here."  
  
"Okay! You go shower, Wufei, and Tro can call Dorothy, and _I_ am just gonna lie here until it's my turn to get underwater," Duo says, before flopping dramatically over onto his back and faking a snore. Wufei just _looks_ at him, then at Trowa, and motions towards the phone even as he starts to rise from his place on the floor. Trowa has barely gotten to his own feet when a startled "Waaugh!" from Duo causes him to look around in time to see his friend being slung fireman-style over one of Wufei's shoulders and carted off towards the bathroom.  
  
"It is your turn to get underwater, Duo - unless you did not wish help with getting that mop combed out again after?" Wufei sounds distinctly amused, but any response is cut off by the closing of the door. In a moment, the sound of running water further muffles any conversation.  
  
Trowa grins after the pair, then sits down at the desk and runs his hands over his hair before dialling up Dorothy's celvid line and checking to see if she's free to join them for dinner. Checking the clock - and leaving plenty of time for the shower to clear - he sets up dinner arrangements, then blows Dorothy a quick kiss before hanging up. Taking a look around the room then, he begins shaking out blankets and folding them, mostly as something to do while he waits. He hasn't gotten too far, however, before he notices that the water has stopped, and barely manages to get the current blanket finished before the door creaks open and he's told that it's now his turn, and there _should_ be plenty of hot water left for him. Duo is still scrubbing at his hair with a towel as the pair exit the bathroom and head towards their bedroom to find clothes.  
  
By the time Trowa gets out of the bathroom himself, some ten minutes later, and wanders into the living room, his hosts are already seated on the couch, and Wufei is already in the process of braiding up Duo's hair. In another minute the job is finished, and Duo remarks, "That was quick."  
  
"As you say - some things are private - and we are in something of a hurry as well. We can dry it properly after we get back," Wufei replies, snapping the elastic around the end of the tail and rising from the couch. He drops a small kiss on the back of Duo's neck, then looks around and spots Trowa lurking in the hallway. "Are you planning to dress again, Triton?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. My stuff's out there still, though..."  
  
"Whoops!" Duo chuckles, as Trowa heads for the couch, where his things are still neatly draped. It doesn't take Trowa long to pull his clothes back on, and rather than running back to his own quarters, Wufei offers him the use of a spare jacket. Duo suggests they finish clearing the floor now, since they have a little more time than Trowa bargained for, and with three sets of hands the apartment is soon fit to receive company again.  
  
+  
  
The three are even a little early for their dinner date. Dorothy is, predictably enough, a little bit late - a last minute emergency with a headscarf, she explains breathlessly as she is shown to the booth by the side windows of the small cafe, where the three young men have already been seated. Trowa stands up to let her slide to the inside seat by the window, across from Duo, then sits back down, unconsciously taking up the same guard position Wufei has.  
  
Duo looks at them, then grins as he recognizes their postures, but says nothing aloud. He knows very well that he's nowhere close to being in Wufei's class at hand-to-hand, should things come to that, just as Wufei is no marksman - and it makes Wufei feel good to be able to take the more obviously protective role. Besides, in all fairness, if Wufei's skills are called upon, then that really isn't a viable quick exit route anyway, so it really isn't a sacrifice on that count either. Not to mention, a few extra seconds to aim don't hurt anything. No, instead, Duo slips a hand under the table to rest on Wufei's knee, giving it a small squeeze, and when Wufei leans back with a questioning look, he leans in close enough to whisper in the proffered ear, "You're doing it again - and I love you too."  
  
Wufei blinks, then realizes what Duo is talking about, and flushes a little, but squeezes Duo's hand back - and promptly resumes his position, giving Duo the tiniest of smirks as he does so, and inclining his head briefly towards Trowa.  
  
"I know," Duo mouths back, grins, and picks up his water glass.  
  
Dinner arrives shortly, Trowa having put an order in for Dorothy, and the conversation soon turns to the doings of the day. "So," Dorothy begins rather bluntly, turning to look at the pair across the table, "Triton assured me you two would be taking good care of him this weekend."  
  
Trowa flushes a bright red and drops his face into his hands.  
  
Wufei, Duo notices when he glances that way, is even beginning to colour, although it isn't nearly as noticeable on his darker features.  
  
"Well, dahlin'," Duo drawls, "Ah could tell y'all he's been a _verrah_ good boy." He pauses, then resumes in his own voice, "But I think I'd embarrass him _and_ Wufei half to death if I did. Don't worry, Dorothy, he's nearly as important to us as he is to you." There is a definite hint of steel and gunpowder in his voice as he notes, "At least - as he _ought_ to be to you." His voice softens almost immediately however, as he continues, "We've been being very gentle and careful with him, although we have been hurrying things a bit. I'm sure _I_ wouldn't mind keeping him for some more review, though, if you don't want him back right away."  
  
Trowa, who had been just about ready to pick his head up out of his hands, aborts the movement and, if it is possible, turns an even brighter shade of crimson.  
  
Wufei, meanwhile, is having a hard time deciding between joining the blush brigade, rolling his eyes at Duo's behaviour, and smirking smugly at Trowa's reaction. However, when Duo continues, an impish sparkle in his bright blue eyes, "'Cause I think Wufei has been having nearly as much fun with him as I have," his decision is made. A deep wine colour stains his cheeks as one hand comes up to cover his eyes.  
  
"So... it's going well, then? I mean, um - you've, ah, shown him whatever it was he needed to see? He's going to be able to work the rest of it out alright?"  
  
Duo abruptly sobers, and focuses his full attention on Dorothy. "Look, Dorothy," he begins, expression as serious as his voice. "Unless you see something that doesn't show up in a mirror, I can't wave some magic fairy wand and make everything perfect. There's no nice tactful way to say this, so I'm going to settle for short and direct. Trowa's been through more shit than any of us, which is saying something, when it comes to love and trust. That isn't going to just disappear overnight, no matter what anyone does. We are _all_ going to be having the nightmares for years to come, depressions, survivor's guilt, weird flashbacks and bouts of deja vu. It isn't pretty, and it is going to take time to deal with, love, support, lots of understanding. I know you've got more insight into what we've been through than most people, but even you really only know about a small portion of what happened during the war - and a lot of Trowa's shit is a lot older than that. Wufei and I, we're here if either of you need us, okay?"  
  
Wufei has, by this point, recovered himself, and nods in agreement, when Dorothy looks in his direction. Trowa, as well, is watching both their faces. Under the table, his hand meets Dorothy's as both move to make contact with the other, and he twines his fingers loosely with hers.  
  
"We've basically managed to show Tro a few possibilities that he didn't know about before, and reminded him that there is a gentle man underneath all the shells - one who can touch the world without causing pain. But we've done this a handful of times, maybe, compared to what he has spent his entire life believing. No fairy wand, remember? Hearing something once or twice is only the beginning, and there's a lot of work ahead for him. I know he can do it, though," Duo says, glancing over at Trowa. "He's made it this far, and he's not alone any more. I didn't find a family just so I could stand by and watch my brothers get hurt." The note of fierce protectiveness in Duo's voice startles Dorothy.  
  
"He's going to need your help with some things. You can't expect him to read your mind. You're going to need to talk. Lots. Clearly and explicitly. You're going to need to ask for what you want, and tell him what you like, or don't. Make sure he knows what you're feeling - and that you will _keep on_ telling him. And make sure he does the same - especially when he starts going silent on you," Duo instructs her. "Beyond that, it's really not my place to say, right? Except that you both need to make sure you're both on the same page before you try anything new. And you," he says, turning to look at Trowa, "I know you have been, but keep talking to her. That's why you ran into trouble in the first place - not talking about it. She can't read _your_ mind, either, right?"  
  
Trowa nods, a bit abashed, but speaks up anyway. "True, but - in this case just her knowing and telling me different wouldn't have done much good."  
  
"Perhaps not, Triton, but it might have saved Dorothy some self-doubt," Wufei points out. "And you are not alone any more; you do have people to turn to who are going through exactly the same sorts of things - and you are welcome to come to us again -for any reason." Duo gives Wufei's knee a squeeze under the table.  
  
"Seriously, Dorothy, I think we've been over everything we planned to do at least once. I skipped out on Professor Chang's lecture," Duo says, "but from what little I overheard, he went well beyond just the basics. We _did_ skip a lot of the lying around and exploring stuff, but under the circumstances it seemed like the thing to do, and I'm sure you can figure that part out by yourselves. The physical part, that's easy. The emotional part, that's a lot more complicated, but I think we did okay for a kick-start, and again, most of it's up to you two. Yes, he's any good, yes, we'd take him back in a heartbeat, and no, we have no intention of trying to. Did I miss anything?"  
  
"No, I don't think so," Dorothy says, a considering tone in her voice. "I gathered that you'd originally planned to keep him through tomorrow, too, but since you three are basically done, maybe Triton and I should take the time together ourselves instead - do some of that talking?"  
  
"That sounds like a very good idea, Dorothy," Duo replies. "Besides, I think I have something to, um, discuss with Wufei anyway." Wufei lifts an eyebrow at that. "But you're also both welcome to come back with us tonight. That way, if you think of anything we _did_ miss, we'll be right there to ask. The guest room's got a double bed, or someone can take the couch - up to you - and we can certainly drop by your place to pick up a change of clothes on the way, if you wanted to stay over. Or one of us can walk you home later. It's entirely up to you, but the option is there if you want to take it."  
  
After some further discussion, Dorothy decides that's probably not a bad idea, awkward as it may initially seem, and so the walk back from the cafe takes a slight detour. Wufei and Duo drop back on the sidewalk to let the other couple lead, since they are actually familiar with the route, and both are happy to see Trowa's arm slip around Dorothy's waist, and vice versa, although Duo is made a little wistful by the sight. Still, he leans in to whisper "That's a good sign, there," to Wufei, who nods back. They soon arrive at the building where Dorothy lives, and when Trowa looks back for them, he finds that Duo and Wufei are already finding comfortable bits of the front wall to hold up, settling in to wait there.  
  
"So, Duo," Wufei asks as Trowa opens the building door for Dorothy, "am I to get a hint as to what this mysterious 'something' is that you wanted to discuss with me later?"  
  
"Oh, just something about fair play," Duo answers somewhat evasively, but he leans in to whisper something to Wufei as the doors close behind Trowa.  
  
"Are you sure they won't mind having me there, Triton?" Dorothy asks of her boyfriend, as they are heading up the stairs towards her floor.  
  
"Yup. They won't mind a bit. They'd never have asked you if they did mind - wouldn't have even mentioned the possibility, or that it's a guest room. Hmph," Trowa replies, "I'd almost say they were checking you over and making sure you were suitable."  
  
Dorothy laughs. "You've got big brothers now, hmm?"  
  
"Something like, yeah, although Duo always seems younger. You worried about making a good impression?"  
  
"No, not really. It's just - I mean, it just feels a little weird somehow. I know you've said they're together, and from the cafe just now, but looking at them _now_..."  
  
Trowa smiles lightly at that, and replies, "Oh, they are most definitely together. I think it's mostly that Wufei doesn't feel very comfortable with being physically affectionate in public - or something like that. He seems to be expanding his definition of 'non-public', but it's going slowly." The pair arrives outside Dorothy's door and they stop while she looks for her keys. Trowa continues, "I remember, back in May, he and Duo were, I suppose, testing the waters to see how we'd react if we thought they were together. I think we were all wondering where the pod was; Wufei was wrapped around Duo like... like this," he says, stepping up to press his body firmly against Dorothy's side, one arm wrapping around her front, the other coming up to gather a handful of her hair, "and he had Duo's braid wrapped around his other fist here. Heero sprained his elbow, falling on it, he was so surprised. And the thing is, it _was_ honestly a joke then, for the most part. If you remember, that evening at the party they were all hands-off again; I'm guessing now, they didn't want to tell anyone else besides us guys." He steps back from Dorothy then, and she turns the key in the lock, and opens the door to her apartment.  
  
Dorothy kicks her shoes off, and pads further into her home. Trowa takes the opportunity to look around, and notes the flowers still sitting on the kitchen table with a smile. It doesn't take Dorothy long to find what she needs and come back out of her bedroom, carrying her own small duffle, which Trowa takes from her. Shoes back on, they head out again, leaving the door to lock itself behind them.  
  
"So, you're telling me what I've seen isn't what I get, then?" Dorothy picks up the conversation again.  
  
"Yes and no. What you normally see is perfectly real, although I think there's a second level to a lot of their conversations that you have to really know them to even think to look for. Duo just _does not_ lie; if he says something, it's strictly the truth, although what he doesn't say or the tone he uses can make it seem like something else completely, and he is a _master_ of evasion. Wufei is very much the same way, although his reasons are different; more to the point, though, he's a very private person. Count yourself lucky, I think, to be given this opportunity."  
  
"Hmm..." Dorothy muses. The pair reach the front doors of the building, and once more pick up their silent tail as they continue on towards the headquarters buildings, arms once again looped about each others' waists.  
  
When they arrive at the door marked #17, the four young Preventers quietly file in, leaving shoes and jackets at the door and making for the living room. Wufei heads for the kitchen to set the kettle on, and Duo flops dramatically along the couch, claiming it for himself. Trowa, therefore, takes the obvious clue and leads Dorothy over to sit on the love seat, turning himself slightly so that his shoulder slips behind hers and his arm remains around her waist.  
  
It isn't long before Wufei returns, a small lacquer tray with cups and teapot held carefully in both hands. He deposits the tray on the small table, and then _looks_ at Duo until he sits up enough to make room for Wufei on the couch. Once Wufei is seated, Duo promptly sprawls back into his lap, earning himself an amused huff and a fond smile, much to Dorothy's surprise. "Yes, yes, but you will still have to sit up for the tea, Duo," Wufei remarks. Duo pouts cutely at that, but does in fact sit up and swing his legs down to the floor, and when the tea is ready a few minutes later he is the one who folds himself down beside the table to pour and pass around the cups.  
  
Meanwhile, the conversation has turned to topics of general interest. Although Dorothy claims she doesn't know anything about the young woman Quatre brought 'round to the office on Friday, there _is_ a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Details, however, prove impossible to extract. Frustrated in his curiosity, Duo turns to discussing the reasoning behind Sally's imminent departure for Mars to play taxi for the newest set of Agents to be assigned there and to pick up Noin and the other Agents who joined her there. She's not due back until late in January, and Trowa wonders vaguely that Zechs doesn't seem more excited about Noin's impending return than he is, and Wufei speculates idly that it is a toss-up whether Sally was chosen for this because she wanted more to see the outbound crew off, or the returning crew safely home.  
  
Duo, oddly enough, doesn't contribute much to the discussion, just leaning his head back against Wufei's knees and smiling quietly. Dorothy and Trowa, as well, gradually relax as the evening wears on, so that by the time Duo yawns and mentions bedtime, Dorothy is tucked up on the love seat, leaning comfortably into Trowa's loose embrace.  
  
"Yes, it is getting late, is it not? We should be getting to bed, Duo, so that our guests may retire as well," Wufei remarks. "Give me a hand with the tea things?" The two discreetly disappear into the kitchen to allow their friends a moment to speak quietly together.  
  
Trowa sits up a little straighter, shifting Dorothy to sit facing him, and takes her hands in his own, holding them lightly. "He's right, you know," he says. "It's getting pretty late, and we should think about getting some sleep as well. I'd like," he says, then pauses. Taking a deep breath, he tries again. "I'd like it if you'd join me, in there," he gets out, nodding towards the spare room. "Just to sleep. If you wanted to. But it seems a shame to waste the opportunity."  
  
Dorothy takes one long, long moment to search Trowa's face, before offering him a hand. "I'd like that, too, Triton."  
  
They are interrupted by Wufei, who clears his throat rather loudly on finding the pair still seated and evidently not planning to leave, before turning to Trowa to remind him that he should know where everything he might need is, and that they will, of course, be right down the hall should some emergency arise. Then he turns to follow Duo towards their bedroom, leaving the other couple to their own devices.  
  
Perhaps ten minutes later, there is a knock on the master bedroom door.  
  
"What is it, Triton?"  
  
"Sorry to disturb you guys, but, uh... you wouldn't happen to have a spare elastic, would you, Wufei? Thanks, man..."  
  
From further into the room, a small chuckle escapes.


	12. Sunday morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

Dorothy wakes up early the next morning to find herself spooned up around Trowa, who seems to be still sleeping. When she carefully sits up to get out of bed, however, he stirs and catches her hand back around his chest. "Going somewhere?" he asks, voice still sleepy but almost playfully amused.

"Bathroom; I'll be right back," she replies, before slipping her fingers free. True to her word, five minutes later Dorothy is shedding her robe again and slipping back under the blankets. "I think they're still sleeping," she murmurs, "and I think I could use some more sleep myself." One strong arm wraps around her waist then, pulling her in close against Trowa's broad chest and then lifting briefly to flip her hair out of the way. He nuzzles her hair, then, sighing contentedly, before placing a small kiss on her ear and falling asleep again.  
  
The next time she wakes, it is to find Trowa leaning over her, brushing her bangs out of her face with gentle, calloused fingertips. "Awake yet, my lady? I think our hosts are finally up," he says, smiling lightly. He tugs the covers down, then, and then slides one hand softly up her arm and over her shoulder. It isn't until he slides the hand back down to take hers that she realizes he was fixing the strap of her gown, which had slipped off while she was sleeping. He turns, bends, and turns back to hold her robe for her to slip into, then wraps his arms around her, bringing the pale seafoam satin with him to snuggle gently around her waist. She cinches the belt into place, turns to lean into his embrace for a moment, nose tucked into the juncture of his neck and shoulder as she breathes in the scent of him, and then tips her chin up to kiss him. "I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting then," she smiles.  
  
Breakfast is a strangely comfortable affair, once the initial oddness of it all wears off. Wufei is in the kitchen, still in pajamas and with his loose hair tucked behind his ears, chopping something - peppers for omelettes, as it turns out - when Dorothy and Trowa emerge, somewhat shyly, from the room they had shared. "Good morning, gorgeous, beautiful as always I see," Duo's voice sounds, startlingly loud, right behind them. Duo slips up between the two, dropping a kiss on Trowa's cheek before wrapping an arm around each of their waists in a tiny hug and then turning to Dorothy with an approving, "You're looking very well, too, this morning. Nice new style, by the way." He gives the lightest tug on the end of her braid before he slips right between them and over to the counter where he attempts to make off with some of the peppers, getting a playful swat from the cook for his trouble.  
  
"I do believe you have it backwards, Duo," Wufei comments, scooping the peppers into the pan and putting the knife down. "However," he turns, and pins Duo up against the counter in one swift, smooth movement, "I could be persuaded to overlook that." His voice lilts lightly with amusement as he presses just a little closer, then nuzzles into the back of Duo's still-damp and very loosely braided hair.  
  
Duo eeps, and then wriggles, and then squirms around to face Wufei. "Ah! Of course," he says. "But I have to get you a cup first, if you want me to fix your coffee for you."  
  
"Coffee sounds good to me," Trowa puts in, then, "and I think Doro would like some as well." He pulls a chair out from the table for her, then casts about for another chair.  
  
"Nah, Tro, just take one of the ones there; I'll bring in the desk chair once I'm done pouring," Duo says, and turns towards the cupboard to pull out cups. Wufei is already back to stirring the pan, but stops long enough to open the fridge to pull out a carton of eggs, which he sets near the stove top, and one of milk, which he hands to Duo. "What do you take, Dorothy?"  
  
"Ah, both please, Duo, thank you," she replies, settling into the chair and adjusting the folds of her robe carefully over her knees, a little self-conscious.  
  
Trowa leans in to whisper in Dorothy's ear, "Wufei's right; you are the beautiful one this morning," before placing a small kiss on her cheek and straightening to pull one of the other two chairs around to put next to hers. He still manages to catch a glimpse of the light blush that colours her fair skin, but Duo gets a much better look, as he is setting a cup down before each of them.  
  
"One with both, one with neither," he announces, setting the cups on the table, then winks at Trowa and turns back to slide a cup onto the counter next to the stove top, "and one sweet for my sweetheart, and... one for me. Who wants toast?" And so the conversation drops into an easy mundanity, as if it were not at all unusual for the four to be gathered around a breakfast table and indeed, have been doing just that every morning for years on end.  
  
By the time all four are awake, fed, dressed, and ready to face the outside world, a new sense of harmony has descended on them. Strangely, again, it really wasn't as uncomfortable to be there as Dorothy had feared it might be. The atmosphere of family is nearly tangible, and Dorothy, who really hasn't had much of that growing up, finds it soothing, and oddly peaceful. She isn't quite sure why or how, but somehow it doesn't matter anyway. All that matters is that this place has become a haven, and she is happy to know that there is such a thing for her now.  
  
Dorothy and Trowa take their leave halfway through the morning, Dorothy's bag slung casually over one of Trowa's shoulders and his other arm around hers, and Dorothy winding an arm around Trowa's waist. They are both smiling contentedly as they look back from the bend of the hallway to wave to their hosts, who - both - smile, and Duo waves after them, then grins when they move out of sight. He turns to Wufei and asks, "Wonder if she's going to leave it that way?"  
  
Wufei merely shakes his head, and wraps his arm a little tighter around Duo's waist, turning him back into the apartment. "I do not know, sweetling, and at the moment, I am uninterested. I do believe I am feeling... unwell? Perhaps a bit hot, even. I think I need to be put to bed..."  
  
The words themselves, for once, do not register as being as important as the tone, which practically oozes heated, breathless desire and sheer molten need. Nevertheless, Duo is surprised. It's not that Wufei is requesting his presence in the bedroom - _that_ certainly happens often enough - but that he is using circuitous - and flirtatious - words to do it. That, and the oddly... _passive_ note of his suggestions. Duo pulls Wufei the rest of the way into the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind himself. Then he looks Wufei up and down, and then past him to sweep over the apartment. "Wufei," he asks, "where'd you put the pod, hon?"  
  
Wufei laughs, and kisses him. "Fine, then, Brightness," he says, voice regaining its normal serious tone. "You have seen, now, what you wished to see?" Duo nods. Wufei smiles. "Good. So there is no reason you cannot take me back there," he says, tipping his head towards their bedroom, "and take me?"  
  
Duo blinks. "Baby? Are you sure?" Wufei nods. "Because you never said anything about it before. I mean, I _guessed_ , but..."  
  
Wufei shrugs. "I am now."  
  
"So you are. Shall we, then?" Duo holds his hand out, and takes Wufei's, and leads him back to their bedroom. Once there, Duo turns to very softly kiss Wufei. He raises gentle hands to slowly peel Wufei's shirt off, then to undo the soft pants and slide them down, kneeling to help Wufei step out of them. His own clothing he removes much more quickly, efficiently pulling off the shirt and stripping off the jeans. Almost as an afterthought, he tugs the elastic from his hair and drops it on the dresser. With both of them naked, he leads Wufei to sit on the bed, and helps him lie down. Then, he checks to be sure the lube is where he remembers it being, easily in reach on the bedside table, and that there are towels available. //I do _not_ want to find out part way through that I have to go looking for those...//  
  
Satisfied that everything is where it should be, Duo crawls up onto the bed, until his hands and knees straddle Wufei's prone form. He lifts his hands to unravel the few twists of the braid that he had put in that morning, and shakes his head to settle his hair. Then he bends down to whisper in one golden ear, "Would you like to know how it feels when you love me, Chang Wufei? Will you let me show you?" He pauses to nip at Wufei's earlobe, before he breathes, "Let me love you, Dragon mine..."  
  
Wufei gathers his breath and answers, "I know you do, Duo, and I put myself in your hands." There are twin notes of pleading and command in Wufei's voice as he says, "Show me, Duo."  
  
Duo nods, takes Wufei's hand in his, and moves to begin doing just that. "Let go, then, Wufei, and just feel it." Light touches become firmer caresses, soft breaths become feather-light kisses, which become little licks and then harder suckling. Wufei's breaths gradually shorten until he is gasping and panting. Duo works his way up one arm, and then the other, and then down Wufei's body, taking care to touch every available bit of skin, but stopping short, just below Wufei's navel - much to Wufei's obvious dismay. Instead, he trails his fingers down one smooth leg, so that he can press licks and nibbling kisses all the way back up -almost. And then he pulls that knee up and spreads it wide, the heel flat on the bed, and strokes the back of that thigh lightly, teasingly. Done with that side for the moment, he moves back down the other leg and back up it the same way, drawing the first voiced moan when he flickers his tongue out to lick at the inside of Wufei's knee, and then on up the inner plane of his thigh, before tugging that knee into a matching position. Pleasing, Duo is, but he is teasing as well, slowly but surely driving Wufei's arousal higher with each touch.  
  
Duo takes the moan as an encouraging sign, and continues teasing his way over every available inch of Wufei's body (except for a certain good handful and some), until Wufei grinds out, "Duo! Are you _trying_ to drive me insane?"  
  
Duo grins at that, and reaches for the lube. "Nope, just a little crazy!" He uncaps the tube, squeezes some out, and then goes back to kissing his way up the inside of a golden thigh. This time, however, he doesn't stop a handsbreadth shy of the top, but keeps going, pressing Wufei's knees further up so that he has to tilt his hips forward, and then open. Duo's tongue flickers out, licking up, up, all the way up that thigh and then over, across the back side of Wufei's balls and then downwards. His hands stroke down the insides of both Wufei's thighs, stopping at the bottom and pressing lightly apart, thumbs massaging at the tendons, silently encouraging Wufei to relax, to open before his ministrations.  
  
Wufei moans louder, and can't resist squirming closer to that tantalizing touch. And then, Duo flicks his tongue out again, running it down, slowly, pressing firmly, until he reaches the small, puckered opening, circling it wetly and then pushing against it without pressing in. Wufei gasps, and moans again, and shifts, squirming closer to that questing wetness, and Duo smiles and obliges his lover. Moving his head back, he brings a lubed finger down to follow the same path his tongue had taken, circling, pressing, and then, when Wufei once again whines and shifts, slowly penetrating to a depth of perhaps the second knuckle, and then stroking in, and out, in and out.  
  
Wufei tosses his head against the sheets, fingers clutching at them. "Nnng! Duo!"  
  
"Yes, dear?" Duo slips a second finger in to join the first just then, and Wufei tosses his head again.  
  
"You are an evil man, Duo," he grits out, even as his hands tighten on the sheets and he squirms again, trying to get more.  
  
Duo chuckles just the tiniest bit. "Oh, 'Fei," he shakes his head. " _Evil_ would be if I stopped _now_ and left you like this, but I won't. All in good time, though. I need to be really, really sure you want it, first. I want to _see_ you writhe and moan and lose control. I _want_ you," he says in a voice gone husky with desire, "to feel what you do to me," as he slips a third finger in, "to feel how you make me feel. You drive me wild, mad with passion, over the edge. You make me feel things I never could have imagined and certainly would never have believed possible. But I believe it, now, because you loved me enough to show me, and now..." he says, withdrawing his hand even as he shifts his weight - and knees - out to one side, to begin kissing his way up Wufei's abdomen, alternating words and kisses. "It's _my_ turn," a kiss to the navel, "to show you," a kiss to the solar plexus, "just," the notch of Wufei's ribs, "what heaven," his sternum, "can be," the yoke of his collarbones, "because," the base of his throat, "I _love_ you, Chang Wufei." Duo pauses the barest instant before he brings his mouth down again, this time kissing his love deeply, letting him feel the depth of the emotion that words cannot tell alone.  
  
Duo shifts his weight, then, slowly letting himself down to lie on his side, pulling Wufei to roll with him. He breaks the kiss to roll further, onto his back. One hand on Wufei's hip and another on his shoulder lift and pull and guide Wufei to his knees, where he stops astride one of Duo's outstretched legs. "Now, Dragon mine," Duo says, looking up into Wufei's eyes. He leaves the hand on Wufei's hip where it is, but slides the other down to take Wufei's hand, meshing their fingers together as he asks, "What do you want?"  
  
Wufei's eyes blaze, and he slips the knee outside Duo's hips forwards to stop at waist level, and leans forwards, pressing their joined hands to the bed above Duo's head. Duo tugs gently on the smooth golden hip under his hand, helping Wufei balance there as he moves his other leg forwards, to kneel straddling his lover's hips. "You, Duo," Wufei says, voice a bit rough, "I want _you_ , beloved." Wufei leans slowly backwards, wriggling a little to align things, and then slides backwards some more, slowly impaling himself. Duo's hand on his hip anchors him, as his own on the bed keeps him steady. Black eyes lock with brilliant blue as their bodies meet, merging, until, a bit less than half way down, Wufei's eyes shut, his head drops back, and his jaw falls open, an expression of utter, wanton abandonment on his perfect features. A small cry of surprise and delight works its way from his throat.  
  
Duo nearly loses his own fragile control then, at the sight of Wufei so close to the edge of his, so before he can sink any further, Duo catches him, the hand on his hip gently contracting, signalling him to stop, and wait a moment. "Look at me, Wufei," Duo says, voice soft but commanding. "Let me see you." Only when Wufei nods, and opens his eyes again, and once more locks their gazes, does Duo let him continue. A small nudge urges Wufei to raise up a bare centimetre before sliding further down again, one step up for every two down, rocking slowly deeper into their union until their hips meet and Wufei's movements even out into a torturously slow wave, rising and falling like the swell of ripples on deep water.  
  
Duo slides his hand slowly up Wufei's back, to stop behind his neck, drawing him down for another kiss. Wufei's mouth is pliant and yielding against his, and despite himself, Duo smiles, recognizing the blissfully heady condition in which action is reaction and thought blurs with sensation. He moves, shifting and tilting, to flip them over, laying Wufei down against the sheets and taking over once more, rocking his hips faster than Wufei had been. Hands still joined, Wufei's legs gripping Duo's sides, arms wrapping around each others' shoulders, they move, waves rolling together towards the shore. Wufei writhes against the bed, head tossing, small mewls coming with every thrust he meets, and Duo responds, driving them harder, surf pounding now, clinging tightly to his love. At last, neither can hold on any further, and with a sobbing cry, Wufei breaks, seed spilling like foam over golden sands, and Duo tumbles helplessly after him, calling Wufei's name to the sky even as he himself falls, shuddering, back into the cradle of Wufei's embrace, burying his head in one tan shoulder.  
  
A long moment later, Duo lifts his head, and kisses Wufei as softly as sunrise in the springtime, then raises up enough to look into his face and quietly asks him, "Did you see it?" Slowly, Wufei opens his eyes, and brings them to focus on Duo's face. Wonder dances hand in hand with fulfilment and exhaustion in the onyx gaze, and a smile hides in the peaceful features as he nods, and the arm around Duo's shoulders moves languidly to pull them back together for another soft kiss.  
  
This time, when Duo breaks the kiss, he is a little more composed than before, and regretfully moves to unlock their hands and push himself up, out of their close embrace. "Need to get you cleaned up, baby..." Wufei blinks, flushes a little as he realizes why, then just nods and smiles as it occurs to him that he really _doesn't_ want to get up to do that himself, right now, and Duo is probably quite right. Duo drops a small kiss on Wufei's forehead, then gathers long limbs beneath himself to crawl across the bed just far enough to reach out for one of the towels set by on the nightstand, and moves back to clean them both up. Wufei shudders a little under the delicate touch on sensitized skin, prompting Duo to ask, with some concern, "Are you okay, hon?"  
  
"I am well, love. Quite, quite well. But you could press a little harder," Wufei replies, voice rasping lazily. He smiles again, and then experimentally tries to stretch his legs out, wincing a little as taxed muscles twinge lightly. "Just a little tight," he answers the concern on Duo's face, even before the question is formed.  
  
Duo nods, hiding a smile at Wufei's choice of wording, as he finishes his cleaning, then tosses the towel neatly into the hamper. He turns back to rub soothingly at Wufei's hip joints, fingers unerringly finding the right spot, as Wufei's surprised gasp attests. "Remember, I know what you were tensing there?" Wufei chuckles softly at that, and lies back again, letting his eyes drop closed. In a moment, Duo can hear his quiet, pleased hum.  
  
It is a few more minutes before Duo stops and gently presses Wufei's knee to let him know he is done. Then, he lays himself back down, stretching out along the length of Wufei's body and turning into his embrace just as Wufei rolls over as well, and gathers Duo into his arms. "Love you."  
  
Wufei presses a kiss into Duo's hair before replying, "And I you, _qidi_. And I you."  
  
end


End file.
